


Of Sorcerers and Commoners

by UchihanoChidori



Category: Naruto
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Attraction, M/M, Magic, Other, Romance, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Sibling Incest, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-15
Updated: 2015-04-18
Packaged: 2018-02-13 07:54:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 28,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2143044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UchihanoChidori/pseuds/UchihanoChidori
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Daydreamer79. Itachi is a powerful sorcerer who searches for an apprentice to assist him in his work. The main issue is finding someone who is also willing to satisfy his sexual desires.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> Betaed by fangirlandiknowit.
> 
> This fic is kind of old and was supposed to have been my submission to the Itachi Uchiha's Club Swap at Y!Gallery, but instead of finishing this one, I started "Unmei no Koe", so there might be a few things that might feel kind of similar. Since I wrote a whole chapter for it,I thought to myself 'why not post it? Better show it to the world than to keep it stacked and forgotten forever.
> 
> This was written based on one of Daydreamer79's prompts for the swap, so I dedicate this to her. It was supposed to be a two part fic, but since I already basically wrote two more chapters for it, it might be a four or five part fic. Next part will be posted as soon as it's properly betaed.

**Of Sorcerers And Commoners**

**Part I**

 

The small tavern was filled with noise as groups of men, scattered about the place, chattered loudly and laughed exuberantly, their good spirits nothing more than a result of having already had one too many cheap drinks, and of having several voluptuous, almost completely visible pairs of breasts jumping around teasingly in front of their faces.

The waitresses – and also common hookers – flirted with the costumers with practiced ease, more than willing to offer their services in hopes of earning an extra coin for the night, and the men, all but happy to feel wanted, pulled them to their laps and buried their noses in the women's bosoms.

The air reeked of sweat, alcohol and roasted meat, a scent all too familiar to the lonesome figure sitting in a corner near the small window at one of the tinniest wooden tables. Dark charcoal eyes watched the general commotion with interest, fingers of both hands absently caressing a mug filled with beer.

Itachi Uchiha was a regular customer. Not rowdy or disheveled and dirty like the other men there – even though he kept to himself and made sure to wear the plainest garments he possessed – the truth was that he stood out spectacularly, what with his quiet, yet obviously educated demeanor and his well-kept good looks. His complexion was fair, a great contrast to his black hair and eyes of a grey so dark they seemed black also, and it wasn't counter producing that he was tall and slender, albeit well built. There was an air of aristocracy and elegance about him that didn't go unnoticed.

The hookers all dreamt of the day when the handsome young man would go to them to quell his desires, and secretly, they betted on that kind of woman would suit his tastes. Slim? Stuffy? Did he prefer them young, or did he have a thing for older, mature and more experienced ones? Blond, brunette, or ginger? Maybe he enjoyed them with a good shrubbery between their thighs?

It was clear that he wasn't from around there. No one knew who he was, and no-one dared to ask. Some said he was a knight, others said he was a traveler, a man of knowledge. Itachi, however, was all that and perhaps a bit more, but not really.

Itachi lived in an environment where he did not need to quell his thirst with such poorly made beer. Had he wished for it, he could've done many more beautiful – and cleaner – women than those sex driven, pestilent females. Back at home, all he had to do was to snap his fingers and everything he wished for would be thrown at his feet, just like that.

Nevertheless, once in a blue moon, the young man enjoyed leaving the safe realm of his daily life to blend in with the people of that faraway village, away from home, just because he could. After all, he had come from poor, soiled streets such as those, but the fates had smiled upon him, and now he was no longer a "smelly commoner" as Sasuke, his younger brother, liked to call them.

Also, Itachi had no interest in women. For all the people knew, he might as well be a man of God, except he wasn't – far from it, actually. What he was, though, was a man desperately trying to find completion in the arms of someone willing. But the quest wasn't as easy as it seemed, and finding such a person was becoming increasingly harder. Not that it wasn't surprising, considering how suffocating the country's religion was.

It had been a while since Itachi had found someone interesting, but he wasn't planning on giving up his quest for that perfect someone, no matter how many times he failed – he just hadn't been lucky so far. If he were to be honest with himself, the only reason why he hadn't given up on looking for an assistant was because he could truly use someone's help around his quarters. Of course, he also needed that same someone to be able to keep up with his needs, ones that were fueled by his love and sexual desire towards a particular individual, the only person in the world Itachi wasn't allowed to have.

Now, the Uchiha didn't believe in God; there were things about him that defied everything Christianity stood for, and he had a way of perceiving the world that would certainly get him killed if he let others have a look on how his brain worked. Still, there things about him that even his common sense knew were just wrong, and in no circumstance would he do something to scare away the only person in the world who understood him completely.

_"Hey, lady, can you get me a piece of bread and a mug of wine?"_

Apparently, Itachi's luck was about to change. His eyes darted to the direction of the loud, obnoxious voice, to find a young man standing in front of the tall counter. It didn't take much for Itachi to understand that that person was the same as him.

The young man wore worn out clothes that had seen better days, so dirty and thorn were they everywhere. His skin had a tanned tone to it. His eyes were the bluest Itachi had ever seen, and his hair looked like it might be blond, but the filth in it made it impossible to tell, so now it looked like it was light brown. He looked attractive, but the poor state he was in masked his real appearance.

_"Have ya got somethin' to pay with?"_ the old, thin woman behind the counter asked, not even looking at him.

_"Ah...well, no."_ the man muttered embarrassingly, rubbing the back of his head and letting out a silly chuckle.

_"Then there's nothin' I can do fer ya."_

_"Huh? Come on, lady, I need to eat, I'm starving!"_ the man implored, putting his dirty hands on the counter brusquely. _"I'm sure I can do something for you in exchange for food! How about I do you a little favor down there, huh? It must be a while since you've had a little fun."_

The woman finally looked up and let out an undignified growl, and the next thing Itachi saw, the she was swinging her arm and hitting the young man in the top of his head with a large clay mug, causing him to gasp and clutch his head in pain. A few people who had been watching the scene laughed shamelessly.

_"Get out of my establishment!"_ the woman yelled, pointing at the door, with her rotten teeth clenched. _"This is a classy place, not fit fer useless rascals like ya! Ya don' belong here!"_

Itachi thought that the scene was highly amusing, and yet, he felt sorry for the dirty but lively young man, who was obviously starving, if the devastated look he gave the woman was any indication.

So he got up silently with grace and headed towards the counter just as the man was turning around to leave and dropped a silver coin in front of the owner.

"Please, excuse my friend's ill manners," he said, smirking at the greedy way she eyed the money, her expression changin suddenly. The man stood, rooted to the spot, and looked at Itachi with wide blue eyes that resembled finely polished sapphires gleaming under a summer sun. "I'm sure he means no harm. Please, do get him something to eat, Madam Welsh."

"Huh," the woman huffed, snatching the coin from the counter. She bit down on it and, confirming it to be real, sent a disgusted look in the young man's direction. "The lad is lucky to find a gentleman like yerself to pay fer his food. Let's hope he can be thankful fer yer kindness."

"Hey, I don't bite the hand that feeds me, just so you know!" the man yelled, outraged, but the owner just ignored him and started filling a mug with wine. He turned to face Itachi, his eyebrows furrowed in suspicion as those blue eyes raked over the taller man's form from up and down.

"You..." he said. "...are like me."

"Oh, you can feel it, too?" Itachi inquired, smiling a bit. "For someone with an energy so uncontrolled like yours, I must say I am impressed."

The man pursed his lips together and looked around almost conspicuously before lowering his voice.

"I appreciate the food and all that, but I know that kindness does have a price," he said seriously. "Especially for someone of your...level."

Itachi understood the insinuation, but that only made him smile all the more honestly. The boy was smart, and from the way he spoke, he had been educated. Things were looking up for him.

"My name is Itachi Uchiha," he introduced himself politely, as though he was speaking to a noble rather than some dirty commoner. "And I do not want anything from you in return, for it would be undignified of me to demand something of someone in need. However, I wonder if you would care to keep me company at my table while you eat?"

The man still didn't look convinced, but ended up nodding, once.

"Sure," he agreed. "I am Naruto Uzumaki."

 

oOo

 

Even if Naruto seemed suspicious of him at first, once he started eating and drinking, his spirits were lifted and the torrent of blabbering that left his mouth was unstoppable.

He was an orphan and belonged to a village in the north of the country and had always possessed special powers – powers he didn't know how to control properly. He had tried to hide this particularity of his for years. His grandmother was the only one who knew about his powers, but she had passed away a few months ago, and in his grief, his magic had somehow been unleashed and he had accidentally burned down the house they had lived in. Someone saw the uncontrolled spell, and at once, all sorts of rumors spread through the village and he was accused of being Satan's pawn, so, of course, he had had to run away. He started a quest to find someone like him who could teach him how to control his magic. He had run into a few experienced sorcerers so far, but they either practiced the art for purposes that didn't bode well with his ideals or demanded a little too much from him. Now, Naruto admitted to being used to offering sexual favors in exchange for other favors, but there was a limit to what he'd do.

_Sex is sex. I enjoy it, and I'm fine with it, no matter the gender_ , he had stated around a mouthful of bread and meat, already extremely comfortable around Itachi. _But I do have standards, and I will do now allow people to push me around. I just want to find someone who can teach me properly and a place where I can settle down once and for all. I'm not afraid of hard labor._

It seemed too good to be true, in Itachi's perspective. Even though Naruto looked like he'd seen better days, there was a certain energy about him that was contagious, not to mention that his aura was positively refreshing. His intuition told him that, in spite of his strong personality and ideals that wouldn't bode well with any normal catholic, Naruto's soul was pure. He was probably someone genuinely good.

Itachi had had many assistants over the past few years, but they had all been hired based on looks or sexual preference alone, and he hadn't been lucky so far. Some of them had been enamored with the prospects of wealth Itachi provided and tried to chew more than they could swallow, not only being useless as assistants, but also useless in the bed. Others had been liars trying to make use of their knowledge that Itachi was a sorcerer to try and give him away in exchange for gold or some other kind of reward. Needless to say that Itachi was too efficient in his own way to let either of them get away with it.

He knew he was the one at fault, so desperate had he become in wanting to find himself someone who could be both a confident, a right arm and a lover, and he had seen it all coming, only he had hoped that, for once, his perceptive opinion of people was wrong.

Since he had always been right, he trusted himself into believing that that dirty young man might just be the real thing, and the fact that he also possessed unusual powers only made it better. Sure, Itachi had met a few people like him throughout his life – he himself had been taught by one of the most powerful sorcerers out there – and he knew that there were groups scattered about the country (and possibly the world), hidden in the shadows, practicing their arts. Some of them, like the Uchiha himself, camouflaged themselves and used their powers publicly without truly revealing themselves.

Somewhat inspired by Naruto's easy conversation, Itachi revealed a bit about himself as well, but not too much, at least not for now. He told him in a subdued voice about his past and how he and his younger brother had also become orphans at a young age.

Naruto listened to his every word as he stuffed all the food he could get in his mouth, bright eyes genuinely interested and focused on him.

After a while, Itachi decided to tell Naruto about his own little quest for an assistant, and the supposedly blond man almost choked, blindly excited at the prospect.

"I'll do it!" he exclaimed exuberantly as he got up, dropping a large piece of bread before realizing what he had done. Feeling people's stares all around him, he sat back down and lowered his voice, eyes filled with life and hope. "No one has ever been this nice to me, and you are a powerful one, I can tell. I'll do anything, and I'll follow you anywhere; you won't regret it, I promise!"

Itachi just had to smirk at the man's naivety, because, really, he should know better after what he had already gone through, even if Itachi did look like someone who could turn his life around for the best.

"I am a busy man, Naruto, and working for me is a lot of hard work," he explained slowly. "I have taken the role of a physician, so I do a lot of travelling and have to tend to a lot of people throughout the country."

Naruto looked exceedingly impressed, having forgotten all about the food. "I'm ready for hard work! I would be more than happy to be of assistance to someone like you, who likes to help other people! Really, that's just…"

"I'm sorry to shatter you dreams, but that's not all I'm looking for in a person," Itachi interrupted, almost chuckling at the abrupt way Naruto's mouth closed. He felt a little sorry about the sudden change from hopeful and excited to hesitant and heartbroken in Naruto's expression.

"So…what are you looking for?" he mumbled.

"Someone who is abnormally capable to deal with him in bed."

Both men turned their heads to the side to see a cloaked figure standing there. He was tall and imposing – only slightly shorter than Itachi himself was – and possessed the same dark eyes and dark, ravenous hair. No less handsome, there was an air of arrogance and contempt about him that was a little hostile as opposed to Itachi's calm, welcoming demeanor.

"Sasuke," Itachi said pleasantly. "You finally came. This is Naruto Uzumaki, and we were just discussing business. Naruto, my younger brother, Sasuke."

Naruto was now gaping in awe as he looked up at Sasuke, who only eyed the stranger in front of him with disgust.

"Of course, your preys are all very interesting at first glance," Sasuke said with cold sarcasm as he scrunched up his small, pretty nose and slammed the straw basked filled with all sorts of plants he had been holding on the table. "I picked up the herbs we needed for this season, but I think we might have to return in a few weeks since I couldn't find large quantities of each of them."

Itachi nodded in approval while Naruto blinked up stupidly at Sasuke.

"What?" the younger Uchiha snapped, annoyed by his intense stare.

Naruto shook his head from side to side.

"I'm sorry, I just…you're very handsome," Naruto said, a faint tinge of pink marking his features underneath the filth. "Good-looks must run in the family. I didn't think I'd see someone like Lord Itachi again."

Itachi's eyebrows rose at that, while Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"You," the youngest one hissed, "Have got to be the smelliest person I have ever had the misfortune to come across."

Sasuke turned around and walked away, his black cloak bellowing behind him as he made his way towards the old staircase at the far end of the room – leading to the modest bedrooms upstairs -, Itachi watching him with amusement while Naruto looked affronted and offended.

"That is no way to talk to someone you have just met!" Naruto yelled after him, only to be ignored. He then turned to Itachi once Sasuke had climbed the stairs and disappeared to the upper floor. "Your brother is very rude!"

"Yes, he does have a strong personality," Itachi agreed, laughing softly. He couldn't quite place the feeling of relaxation and empathy he felt around Naruto, but he knew for sure that, as far as first impressions went, he liked him. "But you really _are_ in desperate need for a bath."

Naruto all but frowned at him.

"As I have already told you, it's not like I can just take a bath whenever and wherever I want," he defended, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, as we were discussing before Sasuke's arrival, you can become my assistant and I will assure that you will never have to offer sexual favors in exchange for food, shelter, or a bath."

The pout Naruto threw at him was simultaneously stupid and endearing, which was saying a lot considering it came from someone who literally looked like shit.

"If what your brother was saying is the truth, you also want me to sleep with you, so what's the difference?"

"I'll be your only partner, if that's what you wish" Itachi said gently. "You'll have everything you need to live the life you want, and to be the kind of person you want. I'm not exactly wealthy, but Sasuke and I have enough to be comfortable, of that I can assure you."

 

oOo

 

It was clear that, even if Naruto was a humble person, he had a lot of dignity and an unshakable pride that one could almost say neared the levels of arrogance. He believed in himself and in his qualities, and Itachi was sure that, if he took the wrong step towards the young man, Naruto would promptly flee to never be seen again – which was something amazing considering that most people in his position would probably humiliate themselves a hundred times before getting back on the streets. However, something told him that the empathy he had felt with Naruto was not one-sided. He couldn't say for sure if Naruto had come to stay, but he hoped so.

Itachi liked Naruto's straightforwardness and confidence, so different from his previous not-so-called lovers. It wasn't like he knew Naruto. For all he knew, the boy could be a charlatan like them, even if his gut told him otherwise. He liked Naruto enough, as far as first impressions went, at least, and he had had a good feeling about him. Even so, and in spite of their tiny banter, it was obvious that Naruto had felt some sort of empathy with his little brother as well, which wasn't surprising since Sasuke was, indeed, a very attractive man.

Maybe it was the influence of their nature as magical beings, Itachi pondered, watching as he leaned against the door if his decadent bedroom while Naruto scrubbed himself with a cloth inside the copper bathtub. Itachi was powerful, and so was Sasuke. Even though Naruto's magic was wild and untamed, Itachi could bet he would be someone very strong and very capable if taught correctly. It was easy for one to be drawn in by power, even if unconsciously.

Itachi had told Sasuke that Naruto had agreed to be a part of their little family, so Sasuke was still sulking in his own room, just like he always did whenever someone new crossed their paths. It was useless to blame him since Itachi was well aware that Sasuke was probably more than fed up with having to deal with his various lovers/assistants that always failed to get either of their jobs done properly.

Itachi heaved a sigh – thinking about his issues with Sasuke was always bound to give him a headache.

His feelings towards his younger brother came a long way back. They were nothing new to him and he had already settled within himself that he would keep away from him in those terms because it was just plain wrong, even for someone who didn't believe in God and defied God's laws.

He knew Sasuke was different from him since he had bedded both men and women. His brother was someone who did whatever he pleased and didn't take lightly to receiving criticism if not requested. Even though he was only nineteen, arrogant, thickheaded and cold, he was also a perfectionist and someone who poured his heart and soul into everything he did. He worked hard to achieve his goals, and Itachi knew that, no matter what flaws he possessed, he was the embodiment of perfection – the person he knew to be perfect for his high standards. One could probably say that he was being a narcissist considering that he and Sasuke resembled each other and shared many qualities, but he didn't care.

There was no escaping, or explaining the pull Sasuke had on him, both physically and intellectually, but even though he was sure about his own feelings, he could never ask Sasuke if he felt the same, even if he knew Sasuke loved him dearly. He would never willingly put Sasuke in a position where he would have to be confronted with such a strong issue and thus risking their relationship as it was now. He could never commit such a sin towards the person he loved the most in the world.

So, to quell his hunger, he had been desperately trying to find a lover who could keep up with the raging beat of lust inside him, someone who would want to love him hard enough for him to forget that impure part of his feelings towards his younger brother.

He could be wrong, but he was strongly counting on Naruto's determination to do it.

"I'm done."

Itachi was shaken awake from his thoughts by Naruto's voice as he looked up to see Naruto standing inside the tub.

For a moment, the Uchiha was taken by surprise as he took a good look at Naruto's now pristine clean form. The man was lean, but had light, yet fit muscles underneath sun kissed, flawless skin. Without all the filth, Itachi could confirm his initial thoughts because Naruto really had blond, golden hair and a good face, not spectacularly so, but attractive enough, with well-defined lines, strong cheekbones, and a perfect nose. He could've easily been mistaken by some kind of prince if dressed in proper garments. In each of his cheeks, three parallel whisker marks could be seen, resembling whiskers. It was strangely suiting.

Moved by intuition, Itachi's eyes lowered to Naruto's crotch as he noticed that, not only was he of satisfying size, be he was also half hard.

By far, Naruto was the best looking person that he had ever taken in.

"I'm glad to see that I got your approval," Naruto said, smirking knowingly as he stepped out of the tub slowly, his feet creating small puddles on the dirty wooden floor, blue eyes never leaving Itachi's attentive gaze. "The way you are looking at me is kind of exciting, to be honest."

"It _is_ nice to see you like this," Itachi whispered, nodding once.

Licking his lower lip slightly, and inwardly praising himself for his choice, Itachi leaned away from the door and took a few steps towards the naked blond, Naruto lifting up his chin in acknowledgement, determination, fear, and yes, a flicker of excitement making those eyes gleam with life.

It had been a while since Itachi had last been intimate with someone, so of course, his body was being very quick to react with every step he took towards the young man. He was very, very pleased by Naruto's appearance, and the way Naruto was looking at him, fearless and determined caused his muscles to begin to have that prickly feeling caused by anxiety and the need to just let it all out in that same moment.

But Naruto might just be it, so he knew he couldn't just attack him like some wild beast.

Just as he was about one step away from his target, the door slammed open, startling the two occupants of the room, and Sasuke barged in, stomping furiously towards Naruto, who looked positively horrified.

Itachi was going to open his mouth in questioning when Sasuke violently reached out to wrap a hand around the back of Naruto's neck and pull his head aggressively to him until the tips of their noses were touching.

"I'm sick of this stupid game, and I'm tired of useless people just wasting his time, and mine," he hissed angrily to Naruto. "You think you got what it takes? You think you are different from the others?"

"Sasuke?" Itachi whispered, stunned. "What…"

"Show me that you are different, and make it good, because if you don't, you won't be leaving this place with us tomorrow," Sasuke cut, still glaring daggers into Naruto's wide eyes.

The next thing Itachi knew, Sasuke had slammed his lips against Naruto's.

Time seemed to freeze, for both Itachi and the confused blond, whose eyes were still opened. For a brief moment, his orbs rolled to the side to meet Itachi's, who was rooted to the spot as he watched in composed surprise, the action of Sasuke's mouth starting to move to kiss Naruto properly. The eye contact seemed to have lasted forever, because Naruto seemed to understand something just then. Whatever signal Itachi had unconsciously sent to him, the truth was, Naruto recovered quickly from the shock, his eyelids fluttering close as he parted his lips to brush them against Sasuke's demanding ones. As soon as his mouth cracked opened, Sasuke took the chance to shove his tongue inside demandingly and press himself against Naruto's still wet body, the remnants of water on the other's skin quickly soaking the front of his shirt and trousers.

Mesmerized, Itachi couldn't even blink when Naruto's arms surrounded his younger brother's neck and pulled him close as his fingers grabbed the hairs of Sasuke's nape roughly, his head tilting to the side to provide better access as the kiss deepened, tongues meeting past their lips with a ferociousness that was more competitive than it was lustful, and still, the sight was more erotic than anything Itachi had ever seen.

In all his life, he had never once seen Sasuke being intimate with another person, only heard the sounds and grunts of him and his lovers coming from his room back at home, and even if he had touched himself often, thinking about Sasuke in the middle of sexual passion, it was something that he had feared to actually see because he had always felt an irrational jealousy towards whoever it was that Sasuke chose as a sexual partner.

This however, was unexpectedly…

Naruto broke the fervent kiss by biting on Sasuke's lower lip and pulling at it roughly before letting his teeth release it. He shoved Sasuke away, sending him stumbling backwards ungracefully until his back hit Itachi's chest, who grabbed his shoulders to steady him.

They were panting as they stared at each other, Naruto's arousal evident due to his very naked form, and Itachi could feel Sasuke's violent heartbeat slamming against his ribcage.

"Not that I don't find you immensely attractive, my young Lord Uchiha," Naruto said calmly, whipping a bit of saliva from the corner of his mouth, "But if I am correct, this isn't about you at all, so I'm not sure how you could even begin to think that I have anything to prove to _you_. Unless, of course, you are also interested in bedding me?"

Still a little shocked, Itachi felt Sasuke tense in clear anger. Naruto smirked, a knowing look making his eyes twinkle. Before Itachi could even blink, Sasuke was shaking his hands away from his shoulders with a growl and promptly throwing himself at the blond.

TBC...


	2. Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by the wonderful fangirlandiknowit.

** Of Sorcerers and Commoners **

** Part II **

 

All it took was a small flick of Itachi's hand and Sasuke was being sent flying towards the heavy wooden door before he could even reach Naruto, slamming it closed as his back hit it with enough force to be a clear warning, but not enough to actually hurt him.

Naruto seemed impressed by the simple efficiency of the spell, looking at the eldest Uchiha with his eyebrows quirked upwards and a strange sparkle in his blue eyes, while Sasuke merely braced himself against the door and clenched his teeth in a way that resembled a feisty feline. Itachi felt the corner of his mouth curving upwards slightly – a childish part of him almost wished his brother would hiss at him because that would be immensely funny.

What wasn't funny, though, was the fact that his little brother had kissed his soon-to-be assistant. He had never seen him this angry with someone and actually stepping up to hamper with Itachi's affairs – he had never really cared enough to do more than throw a few menacing warnings to the people he took under his wing.

But now, Sasuke had dared Naruto do prove something to him, and Itachi wasn't sure about what it meant or why he was bothering this time. The only thing he knew for sure was that Naruto had a weird effect on him, but it was yet to be decided if that was a good or a bad thing. However, he concluded, it couldn't be good if Sasuke also had an effect on Naruto, and judging but the now raging hard-on the blond was sporting, his suspicions were correct.

Maybe it was the powerful magic in both of them that lured them to each other. The fact that their magic came from very different types of energy that obviously clashed actually made them more curious towards the other. If Itachi could feel it, then so could they. One thing was for sure: Itachi had never seen his brother this riled up and so soon, _ever_.

He couldn't say that it bothered him as much as it probably should, since the sight of them kissing and had been more than a little enticing, not to mention that their bickering was certainly amusing. But Naruto was _his_ , and Sasuke had no right to interfere, even if he had Itachi's best interests at heart.

"Sasuke, don't be childish," Itachi scolded dismissively, calmly making his way to the pile of hay that would serve as his and Naruto's bed for the night, picking up the large old blanket Madam Welsh had given him so Naruto could dry off. Sasuke had his lips pressed tight together as Itachi made his way to the blond, carefully putting the blanket over his shoulders and feeling pleased as Naruto immediately covered himself up with it. "Naruto is _my_ assistant. Whether he is worthy of trust or not, or whether he will be efficient in the tasks assigned to him or not, that is my responsibility, not yours. You have nothing to do with this."

"You just like to slam your nose against the same walls, over and over again, don't you?" Sasuke snapped, straightening up and angrily arranging his clothes, eyes fixed on Naruto but addressing Itachi. "I don't know what you're looking for, but it should be obvious by now that you will never find it. This lowlife…" Sasuke made a disgusted gesture towards the blond, who raised his chin proudly. "…will be just as useless as all the others."

" _You're_ the lowlife," Naruto defended at once, sounding annoyed but not offended. "It's because you have no faith in people that you will be a lonely bastard for the rest of your life. That pretty face of yours can't make up for your lousy character. I'm not who you think I am."

"Then fucking prove it." Sasuke did hiss this time, taking a single step forward with his fists clenched, eyes burning with fury. "Because if you don't, I will personally throw you back on the streets where you belong inside a bag full of shit. And you," He turned to Itachi and pointed his finger at him, which made the eldest of the two's breath catch in his throat at how feral he was looking. "This is the last time I'm taking any of this bullshit. I don't care what or who you want to take to your bed, and I don't care if you value my opinion on this or not. If he fails, I'm _done_. You go your way, and I go mine. And be fucking sure that I mean it!"

Huffing angrily, he turned on his heels and opened the door, unceremoniously slamming it closed on his way out and leaving the two other men staring at it, both rather speechless.

Itachi forced his muscles to relax, but it was difficult after his little brother's ultimatum. Sasuke had never threatened to leave him before. Yes, they had been trying to find someone for him for several years now, and failed every single time. Of course, this was as frustrating for Sasuke as it was for Itachi, and they had fought a lot over the years, even if the youngest one never judged him.

But Sasuke had always stood by his side, no matter what. Having him threaten to leave was something that tore at Itachi's soul. Sasuke had a world of opportunities in front of him, many of them that he hadn't taken because he wanted to help Itachi with his busy life, so he had settled for the best position he had inside the castle. There were so many offers still standing for him, though; all he had to do was choose one and he'd be gone.

Apart from his work, Sasuke was all he had. Without Sasuke in his life, there was no reason for him to keep moving. He'd lose everything.

"I'll show him," Naruto grunted under his breath, shaking Itachi from his strangely depressing thoughts. "I'll tell him who the lowlife is. I'll be so good at everything he'll be kissing my feet and begging for forgiveness in no time." He looked over his shoulder at Itachi, pouting but looking determined. "And you know what's worse?"

Itachi looked down at him and blinked a few times. "What?"

"That I still have a boner."

Well, Itachi thought, with a disheartened sigh. It was unfortunate that he had lost his own.

000

Naruto had spent most of the three days of their journey back to their destination asking questions and talking his mouth off about everything and nothing at the same time just to keep the conversation alive. Anything was a good topic as far as he was concerned, and Itachi indulged his energetic blabbering without so much as a nod or a grunt, because he supposed the young man had been terribly lonely for the past few weeks (or months) and was more than happy to socialize to his heart's content. It was immensely annoying, but some part of Itachi sympathized with him without really feeling any sort of pity, since it was more than obvious that Naruto knew how to take care of himself and wanted pity from no-one. There was a sense of dignity about him that made the Uchiha respect him.

Far behind were the days when he spoiled his protégés, so he was more than focused on making Naruto work hard in every aspect, and see how he'd behave without Itachi coddling him. If the pressure was too much for the boy to take, then he'd just have to leave like all the others.

However, if that were to happen, Itachi wasn't sure how to even begin to convince his brother to stay with him. Swearing that the search for a lover/assistant was over might do the trick, and Itachi was willing to do it, even if it would compromise both his job and his sex life.

Not that it couldn't be fixed if Sasuke finally were to give him what he wanted. But, of course, Itachi knew he would never find the courage to ask.

Sasuke had been awfully silent throughout the journey, and whenever he did talk, it was to tell Naruto to shut up or to offer some insulting input to the topics the blond had chosen to approach. The two would end up bickering loudly for several minutes before Sasuke got tired of being dragged along by Naruto's incessant and rather useless yammering, as he liked to call it.

But one thing Itachi had to give to Naruto – he had started working hard as soon as they decided they would be on their way. As a test, and a vow of trust, on the first day when they were to leave Madam Welsh's tavern, Itachi had given him a silver coin so he could take care of everything needed for the journey, and Naruto had done so flawlessly. He'd taken care of the horses, arranged for sufficient provisions for the three of them and the two mares and even managed to bargain a few furred blankets into the equation to keep them warm through the nights. Not that Itachi and Sasuke didn't have quality clothes to protect them from the cold, but Naruto himself would need them, so it wasn't money thrown to the pigs.

Also, he had taken upon his own hands to taking care of absolutely everything during their days of traveling, and Itachi had to admit that he was rather impressed.

The blond had even washed and sewn immaculately a pair of trousers Sasuke had accidentally ruined when he had fallen in the mud during the night while taking a trip to a nearby bush to relieve himself. During the fall, the trousers had been stuck in a few thorns that had also scratched his knees rather badly. Naruto had also decided that it was a good idea to show off the fact that he also knew a few medical tricks since he even found the necessary plants to make an effective paste to put over Sasuke's wounds.

Itachi was sure his little brother was impressed, as well, but he stubbornly refused to say a word about it.

The eldest of the three had to admit that Naruto's pride – in no way inferior to Sasuke's – was very alluring. That and his positive and friendly energy. He dealt with them as if the three of them had known each other for ages.

He was determined to prove Sasuke wrong no matter what, and that reassured Itachi more than he could've admitted. It was also a very, very attractive side that excited him about the young male. Naruto's constant motivation and his obvious thirst for knowledge, constantly striving to become better **,** was something that made him very appealing.

If it weren't for the fact that just thinking about being intimate with another person in front of his little brother made him feel very uncomfortable, Itachi would definitely have tested out Naruto's other abilities by then. How he resented his body's betrayal on the night he and Naruto had met.

Still, even with Sasuke's silent and antagonistic behavior, it felt like Naruto was, indeed, already part of their little family, and Itachi couldn't wait to get him home and introduce him to his future life.

As they finally made their way through the village towards the huge stone castle at the top of the hill, Naruto became unusually quiet, especially when Itachi told him he had to enter the walls by foot, considering their different social status. Feeling sorry for him, Itachi – and sometimes, Sasuke, as well – had allowed him to ride behind him for most of the journey since he didn't even have decent enough shoes to protect his feet.

The sun was barely setting, and there were still villagers out in the streets, minding their own business. They all waved excitedly at Itachi with big smiles on their faces as he passed by. Some of them even bowed respectfully, and Naruto, not really shy but not confident enough to be all cheery around strangers, would just smile a bit at the humble people with his hand firmly closed around the fabric of Itachi's trousers.

"You are quite popular around here, aren't you?" He asked hesitantly, looking up at Itachi with curious eyes as they left the village and made their way up the uneven path towards the castle. He was walking between his and Sasuke's horses.

"Well, as I said, I do work a lot," Itachi explained calmly. "Not only inside the castle walls, but also outside. I want to make sure that I can help the villagers in any way I can, be it concerning their health or just checking up on how the plantations are going and so on, and not only in this part of the kingdom. I sometimes travel to check up on other villages, like I was doing when we met. I am not the King's advisor, nor am I involved in politics, but His Majesty allows me to provide any help I can, because that allows the people to know that their King cares for their welfare and makes them feel closer to their ruler."

Naruto was silent for a while in contemplation. Beside him, Sasuke's back stiffened but he didn't comment.

"So, you _were_ serious when you said you needed an assistant," Naruto mumbled, as if, for some reason, he had thought otherwise.

"Of course," Itachi replied, looking down at the mop of unruly hair. "You thought I was lying?"

"Well, I thought that the whole assistant thing was just something to attenuate the fact that I'm going to be your whore," Naruto said in a conspicuous tone, grinning up at him with mischief to make sure Itachi understood he was merely being playful. "Which would've been fine. I'm just glad that I get to do some real work for someone who truly dedicates his life to helping people."

Itachi smiled lightly.

"I'm sure that whoring yourself will be a nice part of this bargain considering all the work you have ahead," Sasuke said, his tone dry and sarcastic.

"That's pretty obvious," Naruto muttered easily, still grinning like a lunatic. "I'll take the sex as a reward, then, since I'm surethat _that_ will definitely be fun."

Throwing him an unimpressed look, Sasuke huffed. "Don't talk about intercourse that casually around here. Itachi and I might not believe in religion, but this kingdom is very catholic. Sex is for reproductive purposes only, and is only supposed to happen between married people." Sasuke now smirked down nastily at the blond. "Of course, you'd be surprised at the amount of people who defy the testaments inside the walls of the castle."

"Yes, because that's just preposterous," Naruto nodded, with a snort. "Why would sex even feel good if not to be enjoyed? Why create so many ridiculous rules if they'll just make humans want to break them? _Why_ would God even make sex feel good if not to be enjoyed?"

Sasuke looked thoughtful for a while but didn't answer. He glanced at the blond one last time and then fixed his eyes on the path ahead once more.

"Well, I appreciate the honesty," Itachi intervened, sincerely, as if the little interaction between the two youngest ones hadn't happened. He tried not to look too deeply into the fact that Naruto was currently looking up at his little brother rather curiously. "But I'm looking for a companion, Naruto, not exactly a _whore._ You are supposed to be a part of the family now. If you work hard and live up to my expectations, I can assure you that your life will take a turn for the best."

Naruto turned his head to him now, grin becoming broader and genuinely happy.

"You will not be disappointed!"

"I'm sure I won't," Itachi replied gently. "Also, Sasuke is right. Any conversation about sex or _anyone's_ sex life should be kept behind closed doors. _Our_ closed doors. No exceptions."

"Yes, my Lord!"

By the time they reached the castle, the sky had already been painted in tones of purple and stars had begun to decorate it. As soon as they reached the large open wooden doors that gave entrance to the castle, Naruto's chin fell and he all but remained silent, even if he did look around excitedly and gasped once in a while. He hadn't expected to have a stable boy to greet them and take their horses.

The guards and servants that greeted them joyfully eyed Naruto with interested surprise as they made their way through the halls to Itachi's and Sasuke's quarters, and he didn't blame them since he had never brought in someone with such poor clothes to the castle before. Once in a while, the tall raven haired man would comment about where they were and which rooms weren't allowed entrance. Then, he would tell Naruto a few of the rules that could most definitely not be broken, and he would all but nod quickly in understanding, making sure he stayed close behind him and Sasuke. There was much for him for learn, but Itachi wouldn't focus on that today. It was imperative that Naruto washed himself first and put on some decent clothes so he could be introduced to the King at once. The knowledge seemed to make Naruto slightly nervous. He also seemed rather put off by the fact that most people offered the brothers small bows of respectful greetings.

Itachi's and Sasuke's quarters were located in the west tower – the tallest of the three that the castle possessed, which meant they had to climb over five hundred steps to get there, during the night, with the help of an oil lamp. Naruto made a horrified sound as he saw the spiral staircase, but quickly followed the Uchiha brothers up without so much as a sigh. When they got to their destination, the blond was panting heavily as opposed to Itachi and Sasuke, who neither looked like the workout bothered them at all.

"You'll get used to it quickly enough," Itachi assured Naruto, with a small smirk once they stood in front of the single heavy wooden door and placed his hand on the iron handle. "After all, you'll have to go up and down these same stairs many times during the day."

Naruto threw him a dirty glare but nodded defiantly, and Itachi enjoyed seeing the fire of resolution in his eyes.

The quarters were considerably large and, Itachi supposed, surprisingly well furnished considering the place. The tall walls were covered in bookshelves filled with books and scrolls as well as several imposing black closets, and in the wall opposite from the entrance, two separate, smaller wooden doors could be seen, indicating Itachi's and Sasuke's separate bedrooms. In the center, there was a large iron table with heavy wooden chairs with seats lined in rabbit fur. Not too far from there, a smaller and older looking table carried a medium sized caldron in the middle of it, as well as all sorts of vials and recipients with odd textures and colors inside them. All in all, the place was very organized and neat, but it was obvious to anyone entering it that it belonged to a studious man.

"No-one but the three of us and the King is allowed entrance in these quarters unless given permission, or asked to do so," Itachi explained, while Sasuke closed the door behind them. "Of course, His Majesty will never bother to come up here, but he will, when necessary, order someone to come up here to call us. This tower is very private, but Sasuke and I still try to be careful about our magic within these walls. Under no circumstance are you to reveal anything concerning what happens up here."

"I understand," Naruto said, nodding vigorously and standing very still in the middle of the room with his back very straight as if, suddenly, he didn't know what to do with himself. He was clutching the satchel containing Itachi's herbs rather strongly, hugging it to his chest as if it could provide him some sort of comfort.

Sasuke was already removing his traveling cloak and throwing it over the nearest chair, and Naruto seemed unsure of what to do about it, his eyes following the younger Uchiha's figure as he went to his room to put his belongings away.

With a snap of his fingers, Itachi made it so that each and every single candle and torch in the room instantly lit up, bathing the place in warm tones of inviting yellow. Naruto gasped in fascination.

"You will sleep in my room," Itachi informed casually, also removing his own cloak and folding it neatly before placing it over the gigantic table. "We are going to arrange for you to have your own bed, but whether you choose to use it or to sleep with me is entirely up to you."

"He needs new clothes," Sasuke retorted, emerging from his room. "We can't introduce him to His Majesty looking like this."

"Yes," Itachi agreed. With a small smile, he moved closer to Naruto and carefully took the satchel from his hands. He could tell that the younger male was nervous, especially now that he wasn't in a familiar environment. Itachi suspected that he was also very confused about his and Sasuke's influence inside the castle, as well as very overwhelmed by the fact that he'd be meeting the King himself in a short while. "Naruto, I need you to go downstairs and bring us a big bucket of clean water since we all need to freshen up. By now, word has spread that I have taken in a new assistant, so I'm sure everyone will be willing to give you directions if you say you're going on my part. Also, I need you to look for an old lady named Chiyo. She is the castle's seamstress and will be able to find you something suitable to wear."

Naruto gulped, but at once, his eyes became resolute. "Yes, my Lord."

Without another moment of hesitance, the blond turned on his heels and immediately left to do as he was told.

When he turned around to face his little brother, Itachi found Sasuke with his arms crossed, eyeing him with an eyebrow quirked upwards and an expression that was grave. Itachi's smile faded.

"I was serious about what I said, Itachi," Sasuke said, in a cold voice that also sounded resentful. "You know I love you. But if he fails…"

"Where will you go?" Itachi interrupted. He had meant to talk to Sasuke about the deal he had imposed on him, but due to Naruto's presence, he hadn't been able to. "We only have each other."

Sasuke bit his lip and looked away, to a flickering torch on the wall to his right. "I know."

"And you'd leave me?" Itachi pressed on, placing the satchel over the table next to his cloak, his gestures elegant and careful, so as to mask his uneasiness. "So that I'd be alone without either of you?"

"You can't expect me to be around forever," Sasuke replied, with a small shrug. "I'm tired of watching you looking for a lover. I understand it, and yet I don't. I don't understand why you do it, or why you'd seek something like that so strongly. You could simply find an assistant and then bed other male lovers. It's not like you're the only man that desires other men in this kingdom."

Itachi sighed in defeat. For a brief moment, he considered telling Sasuke why he needed someone to love – someone constant, someone for him – but then quickly dismissed the thought. Even if Naruto were to leave like all the others, there was no need for him to cast Sasuke away unnecessarily. Because he knew that confessing the way he felt would do it – Sasuke would be disgusted and he'd leave without looking back. Itachi couldn't bear the thought of losing him so soon.

"You wouldn't understand it, even if I explained it to you," he whispered, shaking his head from side to side.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, intelligently trying to read Itachi's features, but the eldest one kept his face as devoid of emotion as he could. "Try me."

"You would hate me."

Sasuke seemed genuinely angry at the words. "How can you possibly say something like that?" He hissed, with poorly controlled fury. "Haven't I been by your side for all these years? Haven't I accepted you and respected you and everything you stand for? Haven't I always supported and protected you?" His voice lowered dangerously. "We lead different lives, but I always admired you beyond reason. How could I possibly ever hate my own blood when, as you very well know, I don't care about anyone else in this world?"

There was truth in Sasuke's words, and it tore at Itachi' heart to acknowledge it. Sasuke had always been beside him no matter what. He had never been judgmental or critical towards him, and yes, Sasuke's heart had been too hardened by life itself to allow other people in, so he had always devoted his deeper feelings to Itachi, even if not on a physical level. All of Sasuke's affairs had been short-lived and meaningless to him – barely an indulgence of his body's needs he couldn't ignore – nothing more.

Sasuke would give his life for him in a heartbeat, and there was no-one in this world Itachi trusted more.

All this, Itachi knew. But the idea that Sasuke might ever respond to his feelings was something that seemed impossible to him. Even if Sasuke wouldn't hate him, things would forever be awkward and tense between them, and that was something he didn't think he could take.

"I know all of that, Sasuke," Itachi muttered, dispassionately. "And I _am_ sorry. But I am a filthy person, no matter how highly you think of me. I love you far too much to splatter my filth all over you. You do not deserve such a burden."

Sasuke merely 'tsked'. He looked genuinely hurt, but Itachi couldn't find the heart to plead for their sake – he knew he had no right to do so when his younger brother had given so much already. All he could do was pray to fate that Naruto had come to stay so that he wouldn't lose his loved one.

"He won't last three full moons," Sasuke grunted, also heaving a sigh, but one of utmost frustration.

"I have faith that he will," Itachi said cautiously. "He's not like anyone either of us have ever met. I'm sure you can feel it, too."

Sasuke didn't comment on that, instead saying, "You have too much faith in people."

Itachi merely offered him a sad smile. "What else is left to have faith in?"

000

Naruto managed to get everything Itachi had told him to do just fine. Once he returned to their quarters, with a huge bucket of water in both hands and a clean set of clothes under one arm, he was sweating quite a lot but looking very pleased with himself. Apparently, just as Itachi had said, he had managed to get around rather easily thanks to the servants' help – whom he claimed were all very nice people – and was now feeling more confident.

Itachi understood that he didn't really know how to go about the tasks an assistant to him should do, so he patiently instructed him where he could find three basins for them to wash themselves, that he would have to fill with water and then pour over it a few scented dry flowers Itachi always kept in stock. He was to put the water-filled basins over the table. Naruto did everything with excitement and eagerness to please.

Itachi then told him that he and Sasuke were the ones that should get cleaned first and that he should assist them with both this _and_ getting dressed. Naruto was clearly more interested in this than in any other task, so when Sasuke refused his help to clean up and dryly told him to assist Itachi instead, the disappointment was very evident in his features.

Still, he was more than pleased to help Itachi, and this made him feel relieved. Naruto's interest in his little brother was far too obvious, but not exactly surprising – Sasuke was Naruto's age and a sinfully attractive young man; the vision of a seductive demonic beauty in all his glory. However, as Naruto took Itachi's clothes off him and then assisted in cleaning him up, there was no doubt in his mind that he also felt attracted to him since his hands would, more often than not, lose the effective professionalism the task required to swiftly caress his skin in a way that was far from disinterested. While wiping his chest clean, his blue gaze had been transfixed on him as if he had never seen anything like Itachi in his life. Neither Itachi nor Sasuke had taken their clothes off in front of him during the journey.

"Beautiful," Naruto had whispered, more to himself than to the older man, before licking his lips. Itachi had smiled in gratitude. For some reason, the compliment flattered him coming from the blond's mouth.

Nevertheless, Itachi didn't miss the glances the blond threw at Sasuke's own very naked form now and again. He couldn't blame him – he had seen Sasuke naked more times than he could count, but he always struggled to keep his eyes averted. His brother had a lean but fit form – the form of a fighter, and the body of a warrior. All his companions were bulkier than him, but he was undoubtedly stronger than all of them.

Sasuke, for his part, went about scrubbing the filth from his body with a rag as thoroughly as possible, mouth pressed into a thin line and eyes stubbornly avoiding the other two occupants of the room.

While Itachi's clothes were modest, consisting simply of a pair of white woolen trousers, and a brown, well-kept shirt, the garments Sasuke brought from his room were a little more impressive.

Once Itachi was properly dressed and his black boots were on, he had Naruto untangling the knots in his hair with a comb made of chicken bones. The two watched in mutual silence as Sasuke put on his black trousers and boots, followed by a white linen shirt.

Naruto was just getting finished on tying Itachi's long hair with a red satin ribbon when Sasuke called him. "I need your help, now."

Naruto's tense hands felt on Itachi's shoulders, squeezing them as if to ask for permission.

"You should obey Sasuke's orders as well as you obey mine," Itachi said simply, looking over his shoulder with a reassuring smile, making Naruto swallow hard and nod. He seemed as nervous to be around Sasuke as much as he was eager, and this amused Itachi for reasons he couldn't fathom.

As the blond made his way to him, Sasuke extended him what Itachi knew to be a black leathered vest that had several blue strings both in the front and the back of it that needed to be tied up properly. "Small knots in the front, medium sized ones in the back," Sasuke instructed plainly. "Make sure you tie the ones in the front first and that they are of the same size and as perfectly as you possibly can."

"Yes, Sir," Naruto said, eyes meeting Sasuke's cold, evaluating ones with unfaltering determination. It was fascinating to see the huge difference in Naruto's behavior towards Sasuke now that they were in the castle.

Itachi sat on a nearby chair and observed the two as the blond helped his brother put the vest on and then started to tie the knots with a deep frown of concentration. He was very slow in his task, but was managing, somehow.

"Once you are in the presence of his Majesty, you are required to bow down," Itachi said passively, crossing one leg over the other. "Even if either Sasuke or I aren't bowing, your head is to be bowed and your eyes are to be trained on His Majesty's feet unless he asks you to look at him."

"Alright," Naruto said.

"You are too slow," Sasuke hissed, looking down at the blond reproachfully. "It'll be dawn by the time you're finished!"

"I'm doing it as fast as I can!" Naruto retorted, looking up at Sasuke with a frown, and then looking back at his work. "You said it had to be perfect."

"Well, it looks far from perfect from here," Sasuke said, with apparent disdain. "Start over."

Naruto's head snapped back up to glare at him. He opened his mouth, clearly to protest, but Sasuke merely raised a defiant eyebrow at him as if to say 'what are you waiting for?', so he immediately closed it, bit his lower lip and swallowed whatever insult he had down and said "Yes, Sir."

Itachi could swear he heard him mutter a venomous 'bastard' under his breath, but instead of provoking him, Sasuke chose to let it pass for the time being, merely pulling at a strand of Naruto's hair with unnecessary force, but not for too long. The other glared at him again before untying the knots in the vest all over again and starting over.

Sasuke would definitely give Naruto a hard time – Itachi knew this by experience. It was always something that both entertained and scared Itachi, because it was Sasuke's attitude that often had thrown Itachi's previous assistants off balance. That and, of course, Itachi's insatiable hunger for good sex – that most of them couldn't provide.

He was genuinely interested in seeing how Naruto would handle both Sasuke's taunts and his sex life with Itachi. He truly didn't want to be disappointed.

"As I was saying," Itachi proceeded. "Give His Majesty answers to any questions he has for you, but tell him nothing of your powers, or how you came to be homeless. Just tell him you lost everything in a fire after your grandmother's death and that you were looking for a new home."

Naruto nodded his understanding, and Itachi thought it best not to disturb his concentration anymore.

It took a while for Naruto to tie the knots the way Sasuke wanted – he still had had to redo his work in a few of them, yet he never complained – but Sasuke said nothing about the ones in the back.

"Fetch that sword for me," Sasuke ordered, pointing at the large one resting against a corner of the room. Sasuke had more than one sword, but that one was the best of all of them. Itachi had seen its sharp, perfect blade of steel that was capable of slicing a man in half with little effort. The handle itself was made of gold, tiny, various jewels incrusted in it to form beautiful patterns. Sasuke only carried it in to the King's presence. If he ever were to go to battle, that was the sword he'd carry with him.

Naruto's hands seemed hesitant in picking up the weapon. He seemed surprised by the absurd heaviness of it, and yet, he carried it to Sasuke with caution, admiration clear in his eyes as well as longing for the object. Itachi watched the display of emotions with interest, but when Naruto gave the sword to his brother, it was with a gesture that stated that he understood that he was unworthy of it. But again, there was passion in his blue orbs as he watched Sasuke easily attaching it to the belt around his waist. He seemed glare at the thing with defiance, as if saying 'I'll be worthy of the likes of you in no time.'

"Put the cloak on me," Sasuke ordered, ever the cold, authoritative one, gesturing to a perfectly folded fabric that Itachi knew to be velvet resting on the table. Naruto moved to pick it up, but his fingers lingered on the velvet for a while before grabbing for it – an action Itachi didn't miss. He wondered if Naruto longed for such garments or if it was who they belonged to that fascinated him.

This was where Itachi's curiosity was severely peaked. If Naruto hadn't figured out what Sasuke was by now, he'd know when the cloak unfolded.

To prove him right, as soon as the fabric was unfolded in his hands, Naruto raised it so he could contemplate it. His chin fell.

Indeed, it was a beautiful cloak, made of dark blue velvet, and yet, it was light. In the back of it, though, the emblem that identified the county's high ranked men could be seen embroidered in silver – a fully bloomed rose with thorns as sharp as fangs.

With trembling hands, Naruto moved to place the cloak over Sasuke's shoulders in an almost reverent way. The younger Uchiha didn't comment, even though there was no way that he didn't know the other one to be moved – or shocked, Itachi couldn't tell. Still, it became apparent that he was trying to read Naruto's demeanor.

The cloak was long and it went all the way down to just a little above Sasuke's ankles so that it didn't brush the floor.

Over his shoulder, Sasuke passed Naruto a brooch made of silver, also with a similar design of a rose. Gulping, the blond moved again so he was in front of him and use the brooch to keep the cloak in place, linked at Sasuke's chest. Once he was done, he fixed Sasuke's appearance as much as he could so he made sure everything was perfectly in place. Itachi had a feeling that he was simply finding an excuse to touch the dark-haired beauty, but Sasuke's eyes – impassive and hard as stone as they were - didn't leave Naruto throughout the unnecessary procedure.

Afterwards, Naruto took two steps back and looked at Sasuke, seeming to take his image in. "You are a knight," he pointed out, voice a lot steadier than Itachi had expected. He seemed a little bewildered, too. "His Majesty's knight…"

"Yes," Sasuke said, with a nod that was surprisingly devoid of arrogance. Somehow, Naruto's weird demeanor seemed to have affected him in some way. "I am. Which is also why the lives Itachi and I have outside of our duties to the King and the kingdom must be kept a secret at all costs. This applies to you, as well. You are like us. If they find us, they will hunt us down." Sasuke considered their new companion for a few seconds before adding "We must protect each other at all costs, Naruto. This trust we are placing upon you mustn't be broken."

Naruto's back straightened at that and he shook his head enthusiastically.

"I will never betray the hand that feeds me! My Lord Itachi will teach me how to control and use my magic," Naruto said, throwing a grateful and eager look towards him. Then, he looked back at Sasuke. "Will you teach me how to fight? How to use a sword like yours? I need to be able to fight if I am to protect the both of you."

Sasuke all but offered him a condescending and mocking half-smile. "You are assuming my brother doesn't know how to use a sword just because he is a physician. He is as qualified at swordsmanship as I am, if not more. It is our nature that needs protection, not our bodies."

Looking from one brother to the other, Naruto seemed even more fascinated than before.

"Still, I have no time to teach him how to handle a sword, Sasuke, when I have so many things in my hands to do, and so many other things about sorcery that he needs to be taught," Itachi offered calmly, easily understanding Naruto's eagerness to be around both of them. "You might as well give him a few pointers when you are available."

Blue eyes lit up with hope, but Sasuke rolled his. "That depends on how efficient he is as your assistant," he replied, running a hand through his hair in annoyance. "Three full moons, Itachi. If he lasts that long around here, I will consider teaching him _something_. Until then, you do what you have to do."

Itachi nodded solemnly. "We have a deal."

In his excitement, Naruto jumped a little, grinning widely at the youngest Uchiha. "You will not be rid of me as you seem to think!" He said, in a loud, way too happy voice that made Itachi smirk before pointing directly at Sasuke. "I'm here to stay and you better get used to the idea. I'll work hard under my Lord Itachi and prove to you that I'm worthy of being taught!"

"Oh, you'll work hard _under_ him alright," Sasuke taunted, with a repulsed twitch of his nose. "And didn't you say you had nothing to prove to _me_?"

"Well, since you challenged me, now I decided that I do," the blonde sputtered, as cockishly as humanly possible.

Sasuke sighed and re-adjusted his clothes in spite of Naruto's previous hard work. "It doesn't matter. I'll believe it when I see it. You better clean yourself up and get ready to meet the King. We'll be offending him if we only make an appearance at dinner time. I'll be announcing our presence so His Majesty is ready to receive us."

"Yes, Sasuke! I mean, _my Lord_!" Naruto said, his tone teasing. However, when he bowed down, he did so in a most graceful and respectful way that seemed to throw the young knight a little off guard.

With one last look at Naruto's bended head, Sasuke seemed to consider something for a while, but then simply walked past him towards the exit with dignified steps. He patted Itachi's shoulder absently when he passed him, and Itachi touched his hand in the briefest of moments before he moved away. Naruto straightened up, and both of them watched the knight leave without another word and close the door behind him.

Naruto released a breath. "Damn fucking handsome bastard," he hissed, shaking his head from side to side with a confused frown. Itachi could all but smile, unsure if he should feel saddened or amused.

Things had taken quite an odd turn, hadn't they? If only Naruto were here to stay, the three of them could actually work towards becoming a real family. Itachi needed a lover and Sasuke needed a friend, someone he could rely on and open his heart to. Someone other than Itachi that could allow him to be himself and not the stone cold perfectionist everybody saw.

But only time would tell. And Itachi could only hope for things to turn out well enough for the three of them.

TBC…


	3. Part III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by the wonderful, amazing, incredible and every kind of positive adjectives out there… fangirlandiknowit!

**Of Sorcerers and Commoners**

**Part III**

 

His Majesty was young, though older than Itachi himself. An imposing man he was, yet, kind-hearted and just. Itachi suspected that he was more aware of the world around him than people thought, what with his friendly honey-colored eyes always focused and clever, as if they knew things no-one else did.

The physician didn’t doubt his King’s intelligence for a second. Both he and his beautiful queen had always been more than kind to him and his brother, and rather lenient concerning his quest in search of an assistant, so it didn’t bother Itachi that his King seemed amused when Naruto was introduced to him. After all, Naruto had a handsomeness and an air of feistiness to him that Itachi’s previous assistants had lacked.

He often wondered how much he knew about Itachi himself and his true reasons. However, even if the King didn’t directly judge him, Itachi was sure that, to put up a front for his country, he would definitelysendhim to be burned alive if it came to be publicly known that he liked to bed men.

Sasuke, very composed and straight in a corner of the throne room next to his fellow knights, was looking very uptight and trying very hard to hide his worry, but Naruto was very well behaved, bowing down respectfully and acting according to the rules of etiquette Itachi had taught him.

In the end, His Majesty welcomed Naruto to the castle and told him to work hard and be respectful and helpful of both the Uchiha brothers and of everyone in the kingdom – he’d be cherished.

Naruto seemed a little overwhelmed by it all, but he held himself with humility, yet with well-balanced pride and confidence, and it was rather wonderful to see it coming from a simple commoner who had been trying to sell his ‘services’ for food.

He had something, Itachi could feel it. He just hoped he wasn’t wrong in wishing that Naruto was _it_.

000

It was a blessing, really, that Sasuke had been perceptive enough to choose to drink with his fellow knights instead of getting back to the tower with Itachi and Naruto.

While he and Itachi himself had had dinner in the presence of the King, Queen, and all the other higher ups of the castle, Naruto had been sent to eat in the kitchen, where, word said, he had already begun to stand out. It seemed like he was very helpful, and the cheery, rather goofy demeanor Itachi had been witness to was infecting the servants. The older ones were impressed by his good nature and the young maids were already keeping an interested eye out for him. It only took about an hour for the whole staff to be talking about him to the point where it reached the dining room.

Itachi was very pleased, but he didn’t want to put too much faith in him, least of all so soon. However, he’d be lying if he said that the young commoner didn’t bring out his darker desires. Not to mention that a properly clothed and washed Naruto was quite a wonderful sight. He couldn’t wait for his chance to have him and see what he was worth.

Too sensitive to his eagerness, Sasuke had told Itachi that he’d take a while to go back to the tower, silently hinting that he would have the place for himself and Naruto. When Sasuke was understanding like this, it made Itachi both love him more and despise his apparent lack of interest in the fact that he’d be fucking someone in their quarters. It hurt. But it wasn’t something he didn’t know how to deal with already since both of them had fucked people in their tower before.

So he sent one of the messenger boys to fetch for his blond assistant, and together, they made their way up the tower, with Naruto going on and on about the people he had met, what he had done and the jokes he had told. He had already made a few friends, it seemed, and was very eager to start spending time doing a little bit of everything in the company of the other servants and helping them out. Itachi had no idea how he expected to have time to learn sorcery, assist him, do the housework and still do all that, but he wasn’t going to ruin the blond’s good mood.

As soon as they reached their home and the door was safely shut – Itachi still as composed as ever while Naruto was obviously out of breath – the youngest of the two didn’t seem shocked at all when Itachi grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him close so their chests were pressed together, their mouths alarmingly close. Naruto was slightly shorter than him and still panting, and yet, he all but took a deep, steadying breath before leaning in, effectively closing the remaining distance between them and pressing their mouths together with a hunger that was unlike anything the other had ever felt directed towards him.

Torn between joy and surprise, Itachi eagerly opened his own mouth to receive the luscious kiss, internally thrilled at the desperate way that arms surrounded his neck to pull him close.

Naruto’s mouth was full, clumsy and heated, yet it was clear that he had kissed before, his tongue expertly looking for Itachi’s, seeking to taste.

Fueled by Naruto’s flame, Itachi held him by the waist and allowed himself to be lost in the turmoil of sensation that he had so longed for, barely perceiving his own body in his overpowering haste for release as soon as possible. They’d have time for meaningful explorations later on, and by the frustrated moans coming out of Naruto’s throat, he agreed.

Before he knew it, hands were all over each other’s bodies and they were stumbling blindly towards the large table in the center of the room until Naruto’s lower back hit the edge of it, and Itachi wasted no time in grabbing him by the ass and lifting him up so he was sitting on it. Fingers gripped strongly at his hair – that had somehow fallen loose from the ribbon at some point – as a hungry mouth latched on his neck, quickly offering nips and sloppy licks all the way up to his jaw before biting down on his ear in a rather painful, but also pleasurable way.

Itachi’s body responded with a violent shiver, a growl leaving his lungs – while he wanted to fully experience Naruto’s body he didn’t think he’d have the heart (or the patience) to do so.

All he could think about, really, was to get inside that man as quickly as humanly possible.

When he moved away slightly, Naruto protested the action with an impatient whine, but as soon as he realized that Itachi was fumbling with the strings of his trousers, he merely adjusted himself so that the older man could efficiently leave him bottomless and be rid of the offending piece of clothing. He threw it away with an almost disgusted gesture of his hand, unmindful of where it landed. Soon followed Naruto’s cream shirt, leaving him naked and exposed to Itachi’s delight. Once this was done, Naruto grabbed for the Uchiha’s shirt and pulled him roughly for another kiss, not wasting time in hastily untying Itachi’s own trousers and pulling them down just enough so his erection could be freed and stopping the kiss to look down at it, blue eyes hooded with lust and curiosity.

“Well,” he breathed huskily. “It seems like you really _are_ perfect everywhere.”

With a finger, Itachi tilted Naruto’s chin upwards so they were looking straight into each other’s eyes. “I’m not sure whether to feel glad or insulted.”

“Oh, it’s definitely a compliment, my Lord,” Naruto whispered, sneaking both arms around Itachi’s waist and letting his hands slide seductively down to cup both of his buttocks. “Indeed you are _very_ pleasing to the eye.”

At the moment, all Itachi wanted to please was _Naruto’s_ eye and other parts of his body as well, so he was more than glad to press himself against him until both their aroused cocks were in full contact. The indecorous moan Naruto released was the final proof that Naruto was enjoying himself just as much as he was.

“When we’re like this, call me Itachi,” Itachi panted, leaning closer to brush his lips over Naruto’s cheek teasingly. “Don’t forget that you are also my lover, Naruto.”

Naruto shook visibly at the words, hissing as his hands squeezed tighter on Itachi’s skin. “Shit… are you going to fuck me or not?”

Itachi didn’t need to be told twice. He planted a brief but noisy peck over Naruto’s lips before moving away slightly to look around at the contents that were over the table. It didn’t take long for his eyes to land on a small rectangular wooden box that he knew contained a honey-colored ointment he had made for healing small fire burns. He reached out and grabbed for it, immediately opening its small lid and sticking two fingers inside. He didn’t miss Naruto’s visible sigh of relief.

“You think I’d just stick it in you?” Itachi asked, quirking an eyebrow upwards. Naruto frowned a bit and looked away, his already colored cheeks becoming even pinker.

“No… “ He mumbled, with a pout. “I mean, I wanted to believe that you wouldn’t because you seem like a caring man.” He looked back up at Itachi, apologetically. “But it wouldn’t be the first time it happened, that’s why…”

“I’d never hurt you,” Itachi interrupted firmly. The mere thought that someone would do such a thing carelessly, knowing they’d hurt that man made his blood boil suddenly.

Naruto’s eyes softened. “I know,” he said, letting one hand caress the end of Itachi’s spine gently. “Still, you don’t have to hold back on me. I don’t want you to.”

For a few seconds, Itachi contemplated him. Naruto didn’t avert his gaze again, instead looking back as intensely. There was nothing but desire and trust in his eyes, and for some reason, it made his chest swell with an emotion he had never felt before.

He didn’t break the eye contact as his hand traveled between them, down towards the spot between the blond’s thighs. Naruto, as if on command, opened his legs wider and leaned back a bit so that he could have more access. Carefully, but not hesitantly, Itachi slipped one finger inside the blond, finding little resistance, the action causing Naruto to suck in a breath and close his eyes, but not in pain or nervousness. The small entrance was tight, but obviously experienced. It irked Itachi that someone like Naruto had had to give his body to others who had hurt and abused him just because he was a man in need. Somehow, he didn’t want Naruto to go through that ever again, because he clearly deserved more.

"Yes..." Naruto encouraged under his breath. "More... please..."

In spite of the plea, Itachi made sure he moved his index finger in and out of the other a few times before removing it completely to now put two back in. Naruto all but swallowed noisily, blunt nails now digging themselves into Itachi's upper arms, and in his lustful haze, the eldest one was thankful that he still had his shirt on. As he scissored his fingers inside the blonde, Itachi watched with fascination the way the young man squirmed and trembled, golden skin gleaming with a fine sheen of sweat. Simple, yet free emotions were displayed so honestly on the whiskered face it took his breath away.

He had never seen such impatience, longing and pure lust in any of his lovers' faces before, and it was beautiful. He found himself so hard he could barely stand it.

"That's enough, Itachi..." Naruto replied, grabbing his wrist to stop the ministrations. "I'm more than ready."

The dark-haired one nodded, relieved. Honestly, he wasn’t sure how much longer he'd be able to hold back.

Withdrawing the fingers, he dipped them in the small box of ointment again before fisting his cock, evenly spreading the slick substance, the sensation of his own hand on himself causing him to hiss in pure want. Satisfied with the result, he wasted no time in positioning himself over the small ring of muscles, but still being careful so as to not hurt the other.

Naruto, though, didn't look like he was willing to wait, because at once he wrapped his legs around Itachi's waist in a clear demand for more, one hand moving down to his cock to stroke it. His vigorous nod was all the encouragement Itachi needed, and when he pushed further inside, he found that his lover was considerably receptive to him.

With muscles quivering from the effort to not let himself be lost in his animalistic need, Itachi forced himself to give a few experimental thrusts until he managed to be fully sheathed inside.

Naruto touched the back of his neck and pulled him down for another kiss, slower but no less urgent than their previous ones. His hips gave a small needy twitch meant to instigate. His pucker clenched purposefully, squeezing Itachi in the most exquisite of ways.

It was amazing how Naruto’s energy seemed to pulsate from his very body as if it were a different being altogether. It was strong, untamed and bright. It made Itachi’s senses be on alert and caused a teasing, seductive prickle to run all over his very existence.

Naruto’s magic was compatible to his and it called him. They were kindred spirits, of that Itachi had no doubts.

Without breaking the contact, Itachi grabbed both the other male’s thighs and pulled him to him so his ass was hanging off the table, successfully burying himself all the way inside the blond. Naruto gasped in surprise and was forced to both release him and cease his rhythmic pumping of his sex to brace himself on the surface of the table with both hands so as to prevent himself from falling.

The heat that surrounded Itachi was glorious – Naruto seemed so much warmer than all the men he had ever been with – and the genuine way he squirmed and moaned was intoxicating, to say the least.

“Sweat Jesus, FUCK!” Naruto breathed, looking up at Itachi with wide eyes and parted lips that made him resemble a feral fox. “Just get on with it, I can’t take it anymore!”

Smiling nastily at the profanity Itachi licked at his lips, allowing his gaze to roam over Naruto’s body one last time and devouring the vision of tanned skin, lithe sweaty muscles and the glistering trail of pre-cum dripping from his cock to his navel. More perfect than this would only be Sasuke himself in the same position.

His Sasuke…

The mental image only served to make Itachi’s heartbeat go even wilder as a sudden wave of both longing and anguish filled him. Unable to hold back any longer, Itachi began to move with long, hard, and rough thrusts. It was obvious Naruto could handle it – _wanted_ it, too – so it seemed pointless to hold back.

“God, yes…” Naruto moaned and threw his head back, legs flexing and tightening around the Uchiha’s hips powerfully as he lured him closer, drew him in and moved with him as much as he could. “That’s so good...”

“Here?” Itachi inquired in a whisper, guessing that he had managed to hit the special spot inside of him accurately.

“Ah, yes…”

As he slammed his way inside, Itachi vaguely regretted the position he had chosen because now he was wishing that he could touch his new lover, caress him all over and devour his skin. Sadly, his hands were occupied.

Naruto released a loud, rather guttural moan, and not a second after went by when a loud noise filled the air as the chairs that occupied the room – as well as basically everything that was over the table – were all sent flying violently towards the walls, some of them also hitting the commodes and wardrobes.

Not really in a state of mind to worry about such a thing when he was so close to completion, Itachi pushed the occurrence aside and moved faster, helpless against the raging desire pooling in the pit of his stomach, ready to overflow.

“Naruto…” he huffed. “Hold on, I need to use my hand.”

The other male nodded and bit his lower lip, the muscles in his legs stiffening to make sure he wouldn’t fall off. Once Itachi was reassured that he was secure, he released his grip on Naruto’s left leg and used his hand to hold Naruto’s cock in his hand, quickly pumping the length to bring him to his end.

“Hah!” Naruto seemed shocked at the newfound pleasure, throwing a disbelieving look at his master before closing his eyes in bliss. “What… yes… no… oh… please…”

If Itachi wasn’t so close himself, he would’ve smiled at the incoherent words. Instead, he just plunged in harder, faster while trying to keep his hand at a steady rhythm on Naruto’s cock.

He felt the other male pulse in his palm and the walls inside him constricting deliciously before he came, warm spurts of pearly white coating his navel and Itachi’s hand.

Somewhere in the background, a few objects made of ceramic exploded, a huge chunk of something big barely missing Naruto’s head before dropping to the ground.

With a hissed curse, Itachi followed him, relentlessly plunging inside the heat that he was so engrossed in and relishing in the last few moments of heaven as the added slickness of his seed allowed him to slide ever better in and out of the blond.

Both took a few seconds to allow their heartbeats to slow down and their breaths to settle. Swallowing the dryness in his throat down, Itachi took a deep breath. That had been quite amazing in spite of the rushed factor.

However, Itachi thought reluctantly, he realized that his legs and arms were shaking from the effort of holding the other, so he slid out of his young lover and carefully sat him back on the table.

Naruto wrapped his arms around his neck so they could share a tired kiss and join their foreheads together.

“No-one has ever cared about making me feel good before,” the blue-eyed man admitted in a low, satiated voice. “Thank you.”

“You are my lover,” Itachi said, in a self-satisfied whisper. How could anyone dare to not want to give this man his pleasure and his everything? “Your pleasure is my pleasure. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

He could feel Naruto smiling, his magic now feeling like a steady, gentle heartbeat. “Thank you,” he said, once more.

They stayed like that for a while, sharing small kisses and dirty-handed touches. Knowing he had to face reality sooner or later, Itachi eventually leaned away from the blond and took a look around.

The room was a well of devastation, with broken pots all over the floor, damaged furniture and broken utensils everywhere.

Itachi’s eyebrows rose upwards, confused and, yes, slightly impressed. “Is this how it’s going to be every time we have sex?”

Naruto blushed, looking more than a little embarrassed. “I don’t know? It never happened before.” Shyly, he pulled slightly at the hem of Itachi’s shirt. “I’m really sorry. I told you I can’t control my magic.”

“We have to get it under control,” Itachi mumbled, frowning a bit, but not in anger at Naruto, more in uneasiness. “Sasuke is going to be furious when he gets back and sees this.”

As if on cue, the heavy wooden door of their quarters screeched open. Jerking in surprise, Itachi looked over his shoulder just as Naruto leaned a bit to the side to peek at the newcomer. Both held their breaths at the same time as two sets of eyes landed on the elegant figure of Sasuke. The young knight had his cloak folded neatly and thrown across his shoulder, his cheeks slightly rosy and his eyes a bit unfocused. It was clear that he had been drinking, still, his posture was very straight.

His chin fell as dark eyes took notice of the two, semi-naked men first and Itachi wasn’t sure what emotion other than disbelief was displayed on his features, but he sure as hell knew the kind of sight he and Naruto must be, what with him having his ass showing with his trousers around his thighs and Naruto… well, so shamelessly spread open like that.

Sasuke blinked at them and then took a look around at the mess that the room was in. Itachi couldn’t help but feel tense at the way those fine eyebrows furrowed in disapproval. It took a few seconds but he could see Sasuke’s fists clenching, slowly, and his magic filling the air with small vibrations that felt like tiny needles all over his skin.

When his eyes stopped on the pair of them again, Naruto’s hands closed around the fabric of Itachi’s shirt in anticipation.

“You could’ve at least used the fucking room,” Sasuke hissed, his voice a low tone that was deceivingly calm. He opened his mouth again, and Itachi was sure he would yell. However, to his surprise, Sasuke merely sighed and shook his head from side to side, looking suddenly too tired to bother. “You know what? I don’t care. I’m not the one who will have to clean this up anyway.”

This being said, he turned on his heels and left again, slamming the door shut behind him and making the other two flinch. Itachi almost called him back, but decided that Sasuke having seen him and Naruto in such a state was already awkward enough as it was.

“Argh,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes with his wrist so as to not get Naruto’s fluids all over them. “He didn’t have to see that.”

Surely, Sasuke wouldn’t be back for the night, and if things went well, Itachi could just apologize to him in the morning, or, hopefully, his little brother would just dismiss the subject entirely. Still, Itachi found that knowing Sasuke had almost caught him in the act was rather embarrassing.

“You mean he never caught you like this, before?” Naruto asked, looking up at Itachi in surprise, which made the eldest one frown.

“You think far too lowly of me, even now,” he said, reproachfully. “Why would I purposefully have sex in a place where my own brother could simply walk in and find me?”

“Well, I don’t know, you just did,” Naruto pointed out, smiling obscenely.

Itachi couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Yes, because, as ludicrous as it may sound, it’s the first time I’ve actually been so eager to take someone that I can’t make it to my room. Things were always rather… professional and serious with the previous people I took in, so there wasn’t a lot of mutual spark to begin with.”

Naruto’s smile softened, but the amused gleam in his eyes didn’t disappear. “I guess I’m proud of myself for successfully seducing you, then,” he said, absently playing with the strings in the front of Itachi’s shirt. “And I’m glad we have that spark. Aren’t you? I mean, that was pretty good.”

The simple, yet genuine sincerity splattered on Naruto’s face made Itachi’s annoyance disappear almost instantly to the point where he could feel his muscles relax. Indeed, it had been clear that Naruto had given him something no-one else had been able to give him before. They did share something that was very mutual, and for that, he could say that he was happy. Knowing that he was sexually compatible with the blond actually made him feel relived beyond words.

It was weird, Itachi realized, looking into deep, gentle blue eyes; but in the end, it was all about him and Naruto. Sasuke was only part of the equation as far as them working out together went. If he and Naruto got along in more ways than one, then Sasuke would stay and the three of them would be a family. But only if it worked out completely.

Somehow, after what just happened between them, Itachi had a rather peaceful feeling about it.

“It _was_ very good for a first time,” Itachi admitted, with a nod and a small smile. “And we definitely match, so that’s a good thing.”

“I think so, too,” Naruto whispered, using a finger to trace a gentle path from Itachi’s cheekbone to his chin. Then, he heaved a sigh. “Let me get us cleaned up, and then I’m going to clean this place up.”

Nodding, Itachi reluctantly moved away from him and Naruto immediately jumped from the table and went to fetch a piece of cloth before soaking it up in the bucket of remaining water from earlier.

He took care of Itachi first, ever with gentleness and utmost dedication, and only afterwards did he clean himself up while Itachi put his clothes back on.

Then, in spite of Naruto’s protests, Itachi insisted that it would be faster if they got things organized together, so they both got busy, Naruto picking up pieces of shattered utensils and putting it all in an old dirty sheet he had stretched out on the floor, that he would later be using to carry the damaged goods outside to burn in the morning. Itachi, on the other hand, would try and see what he could salvage of the broken furniture and ceramic objects and try to put it all together with his magic.

"My lord..." Naruto called, after what felt like a long time in which a comfortable silence had reigned. "I mean... Itachi," he corrected, looking up from his task of picking up the pieces of a huge bowl. "What you said about you being my only partner... was that a requirement or an option?"

Itachi, who had just finished repairing one of the massive chairs, glanced at him, but tried not to show any emotion that might give away how much the idea actually upset him, even if he had been the one who suggested it initially.

"It was said for you to know that sleeping with me exclusively was optional," he said simply, looking over at the chair and shaking it a bit to test if its previously broken leg was properly fixed and steady. "Of course, I require that you don't go around catching undesired illnesses."

"I don't intend to just fuck everything that moves!" Naruto protested, placing all the pieces of the bowl on the table carefully. "I would gladly have you as my exclusive lover. It's just that..."

When he trailed off, Itachi turned to him only to find him looking down and the wrecked bowl with his lower lip between his teeth, an almost ashamed and anxious expression on his face.

It didn’t take long for the sorcerer to understand what Naruto was thinking about.

"Sasuke," he pointed out, perceptively. "You want my brother."

Naruto closed his eyes, blushing heavily in self-frustration.

"I'm sorry..." he mumbled, fists clenching over the table.

Itachi merely walked up to stand by his side, pulling the pieces of the bowl to him. He picked up two pieces that fit together and his hands glowed in a bright green color that enveloped the pieces, and quickly, they were glued back together without a single crack visible.

"Don't apologize, everyone wants him," he said calmly, picking up another piece and doing the same.

"It's not like that," Naruto defended, throwing him a hurtful look. "I see you both as my family already and... yes, he's cold and arrogant, but... I don't know, I guess I just… like him."

The more pieces Itachi glued together the more the bowl took shape. Naruto watched the process attentively while waiting for his master to speak, and even if Itachi had already been aware of his apprentice’s interest in his little brother, he hadn’t expected for him to be so blunt about it.

"He doesn't share well, Naruto, and he won't accept bedding his brother's lover easily," Itachi ended up saying, unsure of how to feel about the fact that Naruto seemed to be asking him for permission to court Sasuke while sleeping with him.

"I don't just want to bed him," the blond explained, as if the thought was unsettling for him. "Just like I don't want to just bed you. Like I said, no matter your assumptions of me, I'm not going anywhere. Least of all knowing Sasuke might leave you."

Throwing him a contemplative look from the corner of his eyes, Itachi tried not to let himself be moved by those words he didn’t really understand the meaning of. What was Naruto implying, that he wanted some sort of relationship with both him and Sasuke? That would be his wildest dream coming true, if only that didn’t mean he’d have to share Naruto and at the same time, feel jealous that he’d have Sasuke when he didn’t.

Somehow, he felt a little angry that Naruto could afford to want the both of them, while he couldn’t. A three way relationship where two brothers shared a single individual sounded indecent even to him. Sasuke wouldn’t go for that in a million years if he could help it.

But what happened if he couldn’t? What happened if he was right and, indeed, Sasuke also became attracted to Naruto for reasons that had nothing to do with magic?

Truth be told, he wasn’t sure how things would be if Sasuke and Naruto ever got involved like that, and the thought was both scary and a little arousing to Itachi.

But it wasn’t like he could do anything to stop Naruto from wanting Sasuke or chasing after him, and it wasn’t like he wanted to. He had told the blond that he could be free and do as he pleased, and he planned on keeping his word.

"Sasuke has his temper, but he is kind-hearted to the ones he cherishes,” Itachi ended up saying softly, but not trusting himself to smile. "If he leaves, then it's my job to accept it, because I was the one who tired his spirit."

Naruto’s hand landed on his wrist, and Itachi was forced to look back at the younger one.

"I can’t accept that, and neither should you," Naruto said, determinately. "Don't worry, Itachi. I won't let this family fall apart after what we just shared and after the kindness you’ve showed me. Sasuke, too.” His grip tightened. “I just want everything to be how it’s supposed to be. I want love, Itachi. I want happiness. Not just for me, but for you, too, and for him. I want to make it happen. I will.”

Itachi simply eyed him for a while, not knowing what to say. The raw passion in Naruto’s eyes bit at the best and worst spots inside his heart, but there was nothing he could do about it but believe him and see where this was going. In a way, he knew that Naruto would be a good influence on Sasuke, and after all, Naruto was just his lover with no chains to bind either of them. But Naruto was talking about love and happiness, and Itachi didn’t understand why or what he meant, and he was too tired to try and figure it out.

“You don’t need my blessing,” he said gently, but not trusting himself to smile. “But Sasuke won’t be an easy target, Naruto. Prove to him that you can last past three full moons, and then start from there. You might not need much to get in his pants, but you’ll need his full trust if you want to get in his heart.”

“I know that,” Naruto confirmed, with a small, grateful nod. “I don’t want whatever’s inside his pants unless I can have his heart first. That’s a challenge that appeals to me more than anything else.”

Unfortunately, Itachi could relate all too well.

TBC…


	4. Part IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG, it’s been over half a year since I updated this! I had no idea! Wow, time sure flies, doesn’t it? I deeply apologize, but after so long, here goes an exceptionally LONG update.
> 
> I wanted to thank all my readers for being so patient between updates and for not giving up on me or my fics. Also, thank you for still being a part of the ‘Naruto’ world!
> 
> To all the SIN fans out there, thank you for reading and for being awesome. Thank you for being open minded to such an overwhelming threesome and sharing the love with me.
> 
> I want to thank fangirlandiknowit for betaing this (and so many other of my fics) for me. As always, you’re awesome and I love you to bits!
> 
> This is still dedicated to Daydreamer79, whose writing I miss.
> 
> I also want dedicate this chapter to Kizukatana, who poked me a few times about an update for this story. I admire your writing like crazy, and it means SO much to me that you like this.
> 
> And to all of you who have nagged me (in a good way, of course!) for an update… this one is for you! I hope you enjoy!

 

** Of Sorcerers and Commoners **

**Part IV**

 

Sasuke grit his teeth and closed his eyes, trying hard not to grab something breakable and throw it against his brother’s door behind which he was apparently being thoroughly fucked by their goddamned servant, if the incoherent moans and slapping sounds were any indication.

Sasuke had always thought that Itachi was dominant in the bedroom, but it seemed like Naruto had quickly changed this since they reversed quite frequently.

Now, Sasuke was someone very tolerant – he indulged Itachi’s whims and his needs as much as he indulged his own. He considered himself a rather avid person as well and he wasn’t one to discriminate as long as the person was, on some level, appealing to him. Still, there was only so much he could endure.

Attachments weren’t something he looked for, though – he was a knight and a highly busy man, not to mention that he had no real bonds outside of his home. For a long time, it had always been him and Itachi, and then by some miracle, His Majesty had accepted them under his roof and allowed them to grow and become who they were today. For that reason, they would both follow and defend their King and his Queen for as long as they possibly could.

Sasuke loved his rulers. In a different way, but on the same scale, he loved them as much as he did Itachi. But outside of them, for him, only Itachi had mattered.

The two of them had been alone for so long that they had had no choice but to rely on each other. They were everything to each other, and they were all they had.

Sasuke knew Itachi cherished him beyond everything and everyone, and the same happened the other way around.

Which was why he hadn’t been able to understand his brother's search for a lover. An assistant, yes, it was understandable. But just like Sasuke himself could easily find men (and women) to fuck, surely Itachi wouldn't be any different.

Why couldn't it be just the two of them, as always, with the external occasional affairs?

For some reason, this had always upset Sasuke because he had never particularly cared for romance, but Itachi seemed to pursue it for reasons that were beyond him. Itachi had always claimed to love him unconditionally – a love, he said, no-one would be able to erase – and yet, Sasuke's love wasn’t enough.  But Itachi's love had always been enough for Sasuke.

He felt resented, of course, and maybe a little jealous, too. He didn't know why he felt this way and he certainly didn't kill himself thinking about it, but the topic of Itachi and his lovers had always annoyed him, especially because this issue only brought them unwanted problems and people who were far beneath Itachi's worth.

Another duet of moans echoed throughout the chambers and by the sound of it, those two were finishing. Sasuke had listened to it far too many times already not to know what each sound Naruto and Itachi made meant.  It wasn’t intentional, but the three did live together, so it wasn't like he could avoid it. At least Naruto was no longer exploding things all over the place.

On the chair he was sitting, Sasuke flinched irritably, feeling the uncomfortable hardness between his legs. Those two fucked several times a day, not counting the times Sasuke wasn't around to hear. Often he wondered if they could even keep things behind closed doors or if they indulged outside as well.

The thought made his insides churn with arousal and exasperation. Itachi couldn’t be that reckless, could he? Was Naruto that good of a lay or was the physician actually developing feelings for him?

Chewing on his lower lip, Sasuke swallowed a groan. He didn’t know what was wrong with him – what had, apparently, always been wrong with him – but this situation drove him crazy for reasons he didn’t feel like exploring at all.

For a long time, he had thought that everything disturbed him because he was jealous of Itachi having Naruto – someone that, in spite of his constant denial, Sasuke had been instantly drawn to. Then he came to think that maybe it upset him listening to his own brother having what sounded like great sex.

But he soon found that these were plausible explanations, but not exactly all there was to it. And while Sasuke had never been a coward, for the first time in his life, he feared what he might find out if he dwelled too much on it.

A few moments later the heavy wooden door of Itachi's room creaked open and Naruto emerged, wearing only his shoes and a pair of brown trousers he was still tying at the waist as he held a shirt between his teeth.

"Where's breakfast?" Sasuke snapped icily, even as his eyes quickly raked over Naruto's torso, where obvious love marks were planted all over.

Way over three full moons had passed and the blond was still around. He was clumsy, loud and annoying, but he was definitely hard working. Thanks to Itachi's strict discipline, a lot of work and four good meals a day, he was no longer the scrawny, malnourished boy they had picked up. His body was now bulkier and healthy, and his muscles had hardened rather nicely. He had certainly become a treat to the eye.

Naruto actually had the audacity of smirking at him before putting on his shirt. "Good morning to you, as well, my Lord," he said, afterwards, offering him a small bow. "Forgive the delay, but I was busy attending to my master's needs."

"What your _master_ needs is to get to work and so do I," Sasuke hissed. "So hurry up and get us some breakfast or I'll make sure you'll be doing stable service for the whole day."

He could just see the urge to roll his eyes in Naruto, but the man just sighed and nodded his head. "Yes, Sir."

Naruto calmly walked past the chair Sasuke was sitting on. When the light touch of fingers brushed over his nape briefly, Sasuke felt his cheeks catch fire and every nerve in his body twitch in awareness, but the caress was far too short lived and left him before he could even think about reacting.

Silently, Sasuke's eyes followed Naruto as he left the chambers and closed the door behind him.

Naruto had been very defensive in the beginning, picking fights with him and usually daring to defy a few of his orders just to rile him up. However, Sasuke understood that Naruto was constantly fishing out for his attention, and more importantly, his approval. Of course, time had made them slightly more familiar around each other, but there were lines Sasuke didn’t want Naruto to step on, and his obvious superiority in their small ‘family’ was one of them. Naruto may be Itachi’s lover, but he was still Sasuke’s servant.

Sasuke couldn’t say that he didn’t like the blond. In fact, Naruto was a good, bright person capable of bringing out the best in people. He desperately wanted to be loved, and it was clear that he deeply cared for Sasuke and Itachi, always worried about them, always making sure they were properly taken care of. His fear of being abandoned and rejected was reflected in every effort he made in his daily life. Sasuke respected him in many ways, and truly, he appreciated the fact that Itachi seemed happier with him around than he had been in a long time. But Naruto and Sasuke still clashed strongly and it would often engage in nonsensical bickering.

However, Naruto had proven that he was there to stay, and now he was looking forward to having Sasuke teaching him things, reason why he had been so strangely well-behaved recently and preferred to bite his tongue rather than protesting.

Still…

Sasuke heaved a tired sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. He and Naruto had a ‘thing’ going on between them and it was very troublesome. They reacted strongly to each other in more ways than one, and while Sasuke loved to blame it on their magic, truth was, it had been there since they had met, and it wouldn’t go away. If anything, the more they became familiar with each other the worse it got. The fact that they both knew it was mutual – even though Sasuke tried to pretend it wasn’t – didn’t help at all and neither did the fact that Naruto would, more often than not, try to woo him.

He wasn’t very good at it, but the message was clear enough to make Sasuke uncomfortable and far too excited for his own liking.

If Naruto had been just another servant and not under Itachi’s wing, Sasuke would’ve had him already without a second thought. But Naruto was Itachi’s lover, and part of the family, and Sasuke had to live with it and draw the line, regardless of how he felt. He didn’t want to hurt Itachi, even if, surely, his brother was more than aware of Naruto’s not so secret advances.

Sasuke knew he was attached, which was why he felt more infuriated at the world in general than ever.

Things weren’t supposed to be like this.

“You look like you slept well,” Itachi said sarcastically, emerging from his room wrapped in his white sheets, his long hair loose and messy. Sasuke glared at him as he sat on the chair across from him at the table – his older sibling’s smirk was devious. “Naruto woke up in a rather playful mood, I’m afraid. I apologize.”

“I don’t need to know the details when I already heard enough, Itachi, thank you very much,” Sasuke muttered, with an annoyed pout, crossing his arms over his chest.

His brother’s form was covered, but Sasuke felt upset by the thought alone that he was naked under those sheets.

Itachi observed him for a while, noticing his foul mood. “You could indulge the both of you, you know,” he said simply and perceptively in his ever so gentle, intelligent voice. “Just because he’s my lover, you shouldn’t let that stop you. I have no intention of making him my slave.”

Sasuke felt like throwing something at him, too.

“Shut up,” he hissed. “You’re not making it any better.”

His life couldn’t be any more complicated than it was at this point. He felt emotionally unbalanced, filled with thoughts and emotions he couldn’t understand or identify for both his brother and Naruto, and having those two poking him was not making it better.

His King’s proposal of a few days previously rang inside his mind, providing both a sense of relief and guilt. Maybe he should start considering it after all.

000

After much whining from Naruto and Itachi taking his side, Sasuke finally conceded in teaching Naruto how to use a sword properly as long as Itachi was present to watch the trainings.

In spite of how much stronger he had become, Naruto still had a hard time wielding even the lightest of the training swords that Sasuke had gotten him. The knight didn’t really wish for either of them to lose a limb, so he told Naruto to train his arms for a few days by lifting rocks over his head several times, first starting with a smaller one, and slowly moving on to a heavier one once he'd managed to lift that one up without effort. Naruto seemed to think that the given exercise was pointless – he wanted to work with swords _now_ – but Sasuke threatened to give up on training him if he thought he was too mighty for humble exercises that every good knight should go through.  This shut him up rather quickly. By Itachi’s expression, Sasuke knew he was amused.

For a few days Naruto took every little time off he possessed to train rock lifting in order to strengthen his muscles as much as he could, and even though Sasuke wasn’t always around to see it, Itachi would enlighten him on Naruto’s progression.

One of the things that annoyed Sasuke the most about Naruto was the fact that he would often follow him around. Whether Sasuke was in sword training or horse riding training or in hand-to-hand combat training… Naruto would be there whenever he could afford the time to do so. If he wanted to watch the knights’ train or if he was merely watching _him_ , Sasuke didn’t know, and neither did he wish to figure out, but he would lie if he said that he didn’t find pleasure in the awed, fascinated expression he always found in Naruto’s eyes.

His fellow knights found it odd, but Sasuke explained that Naruto wished to be a knight like them. They had laughed at first, but then began to ignore the servant’s presence. Sometimes, they would answer Naruto’s questions and show off some impressive moves for him to see, which caused him to release loud and impressed exclamations similar to those of impressionable children. Sasuke could only roll his eyes.

With Naruto’s unfaltering resolve and hard work, Sasuke didn’t doubt that he would probably be able to run for a position as a knight someday. It was too bad that he was too impatient for his own good.

000

The nightly breeze carried a slight chill to it as it made Sasuke’s black cloak swayed gently. The wide lake in front of him was calm, the bright crescent moon reflected in its dark surface. It was a peaceful, beautiful sight in a secluded place not too far from the castle, but too obscure to get to at that time because of the heavy foliage and the wild nocturnal animals. Luckily, he and Itachi knew the pathway there like the back of their hands.

In the past, Sasuke would go there when his mind needed to find peace. Sometimes, he’d go alone, and other times Itachi would keep him company and they’d sit on the ground, side by side, talking and watching the scenery until the sun rose.

Now, this was the place Itachi had chosen to teach Naruto how to control and use his powers.

On that day, Sasuke felt anything but at peace – his very soul was restless.

Itachi had a meeting with the King, so Sasuke and Naruto had made their way to the river together to wait for him for the lesson to start. It was no secret that Sasuke avoided being alone with his servant as much as he avoided someone infected with the plague, and this night was no exception.

He hated Naruto’s unusual silence behind him as much as he hated those attentive eyes on him, and yet, he couldn’t find the will to throw any sort of nasty remark his way because he felt very tired. It was a feeling that was still unknown to him, but Naruto’s presence weighted him down, forcing his acknowledgement and attention. Sasuke could feel it in his own body – a strange sort of anxiousness and tension that was powerful and inescapable.

How he hated it. How he hated not being able to ignore it – this sentiment that he couldn’t identify and knew nothing about, crawling underneath his skin and begging to be unleashed.

This was why he couldn’t be alone with Naruto. This was why he didn’t want Itachi away when they were together. This was why he couldn’t teach him on his own.

Sasuke wasn’t like Itachi – he didn’t know how to deal with things like this. They had been alone for far too long and Naruto was now here to stay, now part of their little family. Sasuke didn’t know how to even begin to love someone else and… Naruto was Itachi’s.

Sasuke took a deep breath and turned the palm of his left hand upwards. He felt Naruto moving quietly until he was sitting down on the ground beside him at the safe distance of a wide step, but he didn’t look at him even though he felt the urge to do so. Summoning his magic, he made three small spheres of fire emerge from his palms. He could feel a gentle warmth coming from the floating flames, but it didn’t burn him at all. Vaguely, he heard Naruto gasp as the flames grew slightly. Sasuke closed his eyes, enjoying the simmering feeling in his veins. He lifted his hand a bit and blew on the flames, causing them to float gently towards the lake, his hand changing position so it was raised at head level, fingers spread and palm facing the scenery.

For a while, Sasuke manipulated with his energy the three fireballs so they were dancing and spiralling above the surface of the water in a beautiful spectacle of warm light. Naruto seemed content enough to watch it in silence, allowing Sasuke the time to lose himself for a while in the blissfulness of his magic’s release. It was a feeling of an almost exhilarating nature, like arousal before sex.

As a magical being, Sasuke knew he was made for constant usage of magic and displays of power, but the reality he lived in didn’t allow it. There was no place capable of accepting magicians out of fear of the church, and those who were like him, Itachi, and Naruto often didn’t share the same ideals.

Creating a nation of magicians was an impossible feat. Although, Itachi did dream of the day when their kind would be able to live amongst normal humans without being hunted. Sasuke’s faith, however, didn’t reach ideals of such absurd proportions.

Next to him, Naruto stood, and even though Sasuke didn’t acknowledge the action, he felt his senses sharpen and his body tensing instantly on alert.

Naruto approached him until he was right beside him. A hand reached out to cover the back of Sasuke’s, interlacing his fingers with the knight’s.

Sasuke felt Naruto’s magic flowing through his arm and all the way to his hand, the sensation a little ticklish but strong, and all of a sudden, the spheres of fire were flaming up and taking gigantic proportions, lighting up the lake and their surrounding environment and heating up the air. They looked like wild bonfires ready to devastate whatever they could find in their reach, and while Sasuke knew that his power was strong and his control flawless, Naruto’s magic was able to power it up to astounding proportions. Sasuke knew this because he could feel in his body the small amount to energy the other male was using as opposed to what he _could_ use.

“Doesn’t fire become stronger when empowered by wind?” Naruto asked softly, looking at Sasuke, who only watched the phenomenal display. He had no courage to comment what he knew to be true. Naruto was an air wielder, while Sasuke and Itachi were fire wielders. Naruto’s nature was, of course, very complimentary to theirs.

Gently, Naruto’s thumb caressed Sasuke’s hand, and slowly, the fire died out progressively until it disappeared completely, leaving them in the semi-darkness again.

Looking to the side, Sasuke found Naruto’s eyes still on him. His breath caught.

“You know,” Naruto started carefully, lowering Sasuke’s hand and coming closer until his chest was pressed against his side. “You don’t need to keep your guard up so much right now. It’s just the two of us.”

That was precisely the problem, Sasuke considered, eyeing Naruto’s lips who had come dangerously close to his without him even noticing. He could feel Naruto’s rapid heartbeat against his arm and his magic pulsating excitingly, calling out to his like a melody, and this did nothing to soothe Sasuke’s spirit.

But he couldn’t find the strength to move away.

“Itachi will be coming soon,” he said, voice low but thankfully steady.

One of Naruto’s hands moved to rest over the small of Sasuke’s back, his other one releasing Sasuke’s fingers. “And?” he whispered, resting said hand on the curve of Sasuke’s neck, directly over his skin. His nose brushed Sasuke’s. “He knows we want each other.”

The intimacy brought chills down Sasuke’s spine. His eyes searched Naruto’s features. The other wasn’t exactly moving to kiss him, but the intent itself was suffocating enough, their breaths colliding between them, intoxicating.

Pushing Naruto away would be easy for him, but he enjoyed the tension far too much and was frustrated at himself for it.

“It’s precisely because he knows that we can’t do this,” Sasuke said, bringing a hand to Naruto’s arm, simply to touch.

“You think too much,” Naruto muttered, bringing their foreheads together and brushing a thumb over Sasuke’s jaw, tenderly. “He said I could have other people, but he’s the only lover I’ve had so far, and I don’t want anyone else but him. And you.”

“I’m his _brother_ ,” Sasuke hissed, his heart racing with the gentle caresses he wasn’t used to. “I’m not ‘other people’.”

“No, you’re definitely not,” Naruto agreed, with a chuckle. “Which is probably why Itachi wouldn’t mind as much as if I were to bed strangers.”

Leaning away a bit, Sasuke frowned. “Don’t assume to know Itachi better than I do,” he replied, between clenched teeth. “He cares about you, and not just as an assistant and a sex partner.”

“I know,” Naruto said, seriously.

“Do you even love him?” Sasuke whispered, accusingly. Naruto merely eyed him, eyebrows quirked upwards with hurt.

“That’s not even questionable,” he muttered, heatedly. “Itachi was my saviour. He gave me a home, a job, a family… he saved from myself and he believes in me. He doesn’t stop me from improving myself.” He took a deep breath. “I’ll never be able to repay what he’s given me, and in a way, I’m glad because that means I won’t ever need to leave his side.”

Sasuke felt oddly confused by those words, but also relieved and maybe a little… he didn’t understand if it was anger, jealousy or even gratitude.

But he did know that he didn’t understand himself, or even Naruto.

“If he means that much to you, then why are you pursuing me?” he asked, even though he knew the answer. However, he wasn’t sure if he simply wanted to listen to Naruto saying it out of some inner desire or because he was that much of a masochist.

“Sasuke…” Naruto’s hand moved so it was loosely gripping the hair at the back of Sasuke’s neck, the action bringing their faces closer once more. Unconsciously, Sasuke’s own hand gripped the other’s arm and he licked his lips to wet them.

_What am I even doing?_

“You mean, to me, as much as he does,” Naruto replied, softly, longing filling his words. “The way you’re always so unforgiving but hardworking. The way you are gentle when no-one is expecting. It’s because you are who you are that I want to become someone you could see as an equal.” The blond smiled, his lips coming into contact with Sasuke’s in the lightest of touches. “I want to be yours as much as I am his.”

Time itself seemed to stop. Neither knew who moved first, but there was only so much longing and desire a man could take before it brought him to madness, and truth be told, Sasuke’s resolve had been poked and bended for far too long, so when his mouth came into brutal contact with Naruto’s, it felt like the overwhelming weight upon his shoulders was instantly lifted and all that remained was this overflow of conflicting feelings of self-disgust and ecstasy.

His heartbeat was strong and painful inside his chest – something he had never felt before while kissing another person – and his breath got stuck inside his lungs, his head spinning.

He wasn’t used to feeling these things – raw desire and a yearning so strong that it rendered him powerless and in awe.

One of his hands pulled at Naruto’s shirt by his chest, the other arm surrounding the blond by the neck as Sasuke parted his lips more so his tongue had easy access to the one in front of it, his body pressing itself violently as close as possible, moaning when Naruto held him just as tightly with the same intense need he felt.

He didn’t think he had ever known what genuine lust was before he had met Naruto. He had had no idea what it meant to genuinely want someone before his body had started to long for Naruto’s. Up until now he had merely fucked people out of simple male need, and for him, it was very easy to find willing companions, but that didn’t mean that he had any particular attraction towards them.

But this… this was a very intimate and sentimental experience for him, stronger and bigger than himself, and he felt it in his body, heart and soul. He didn’t know what it was, or what he should do about it.

But maybe it was just the desire, he thought desperately, as Naruto broke the kiss to attack his neck fervently, making him gasp. Maybe this is was all about sex and lust. Maybe it would fade once they got through this and fucked. If they got everything out of their system, maybe things could finally be the way they were supposed to.

So it wasn’t like he was lost in his own dementia when he allowed Naruto’s hands to run over his body, possessively, shivers shaking his very existence because of the so longed for touch. It was with a desperate fervour that both their hands fought do undo each other’s trousers, mouths meeting again in a painful clash as their tongues slid over each other over and over again in indecently noisy slurps.

Sasuke found himself falling helplessly to the ground with Naruto’s weight on top of him between his thighs, unwilling to break the kiss as he used one hand to brace himself and another to invade inside Sasuke’s shirt so it was roaming freely over his torso, his touch burning over sensitized skin.

Naruto’s hips moved harshly against Sasuke’s, bringing their fully formed erections into excruciating and blissful contact that had them both moaning loudly from the friction. Sasuke, though, was far too impatient for foreplay – they had postponed this for far too long and all those feelings that being in Naruto’s arms gave him were suffocating him – he couldn’t handle them and he needed them to _stop_.

Against Naruto’s mouth, he made a complaining noise of anxiety, causing the blond to lean away from him to sit back on his heels. Sasuke tried to ignore the sudden feeling of emptiness he felt by the lack of contact. When Naruto’s far too blue eyes landed on him, filled with desire and emotion, he felt a tightness in his throat he didn’t welcome at all.

Why did this feel so different from everything else?

Still, Sasuke wasn’t willing to give his own emotions away the way Naruto did, so he wasted no time in lifting his hips up to push his trousers down, the other male helping him in removing them – which was quite a feat considering Sasuke’s boots, so he managed to remove one boot and one trouser leg. His movements were so clumsy it made Sasuke feel both annoyed and amused, so Naruto decided that it was best to leave it at that before he completely ruined the mood.

Sasuke watched in anticipation as Naruto rummaged the pockets inside of his own trousers before fishing out a small pouch made of leather that he opened so he could stick three fingers inside of it. Sasuke knew what that was rather well, so he immediately spread his legs further apart, exposing as much as himself as he could, his heart beating fast with the rush of adrenaline running through his body.

Naruto noticed the action and, again, looked at him with his mouth hanging slightly open, a fascinated expression spattered all over his features. That hungry look made Sasuke feel flushed and powerless and he hated it as much as he enjoyed it.

“Don’t just stare, you buffoon,” Sasuke hissed impatiently, reaching out to hold his hard shaft and give it a few languid strokes that attracted the other’s eyes immediately. “Just do it already.”

Naruto seemed embarrassed for being caught in such a vulnerable moment, but his expression quickly darkened to one of lustful annoyance.

“You and your mouth…” the blond hissed, sounding both endeared and angry. “Let’s see how well it works once I’m taking you the way you deserve it.”

Sasuke glared at him, eyes narrowing as Naruto placed the pouch down on the ground beside them and towered over him again, capturing his lips in a hot kiss that made him feel dizzy.

When he felt two fingers probing at his entrance, he took a sharp intake of breath but didn’t complain. Sasuke didn’t allow himself to be taken often, so it wasn’t a surprise to him that it felt slightly uncomfortable, especially since Naruto didn’t seem exactly keen on taking his time prepping him, the fingers entering him rather easily thanks to the very slick, gelatinous substance in them. It burned, but in the best of ways.

Sasuke needed it to be like this – raw, fast and ruthless. He didn’t have this when fucking women, and most men he had been with were very submissive, which was why he had a hard time giving himself like this – because he knew he couldn’t expect this kind of manly intensity that he needed like he needed air in his lungs.

He had needed this, he understood it now.

“Ah…” Sasuke panted, moving his hand faster on his leaking cock and using the other to fist Naruto’s hair, the other male licking thirstily at the seams of his parted lips.

Those rough, far too precise fingers weren’t hesitant in moving in and out him several times, forcing acceptance and stretching him as much as they could, and even though there was no gentleness to the action, Sasuke could still sense a certain restrained care there. The fingers withdrew, and when they penetrated him again, a third one had joined them, making Sasuke hiss at the added width, lost in the blissfulness of pleasure and pain.

“You’re so tight…” Naruto whispered breathlessly, after pulling away to shower kisses all over Sasuke’s neck. “How long has it been, Sasuke? Were you saving yourself for me, huh?”

Sasuke released a choked laughter that died out in the next moment.

Had he? Hadn’t he allowed others to have him because he was unconsciously wanting it this way? With Naruto?

Since Naruto didn’t seem to expect an answer, Sasuke gave him none. The three fingers left him and in a marvelled, anguishing daze, Sasuke felt Naruto move to push his own trousers down and release his erection, all the while planting loving, possessive kisses all over his face, mouth, jaw and neck.

Barely able to breathe, Sasuke looked up at the beautiful starry sky and wondered what the hell he was getting himself into. Vaguely, he prayed to some existing deity to make it all go away once it was over.

He could feel Naruto leaning away and positioning himself over his entrance. He could feel those eyes on him, pleading, demanding, filled with hundreds of things he didn’t want to see. When Naruto carefully pressed himself inside until he was buried to the hilt, Sasuke had to close his eyes and bite on his lower lip hard. He was ready for the pain, but he wasn’t ready for the devastating feeling of completion that accompanied it. Having Naruto inside felt otherworldly.

These feelings, this yearning…

_Have I been lonely all this time?_

“Heaven’s help me…” Naruto gasped, falling on top of him again with his unbearable heat. “Sasuke…”

Releasing his cock, Sasuke put his arms around the body over him and pressed his lips to Naruto’s temple. He didn’t know why he was doing this, but it made Naruto shiver shamelessly.

And then, the blond moved. Slowly, he pulled out, only to push himself inside again in one swift, precise movement that hit all the right spots in Sasuke’s body and made him groan. Naruto did this a few times, experimentally, sometimes pulling out and rotating his hips as he pressed back in, probably to test Sasuke’s reaction, but the knight was already a twitching mass of need, lost in his own agony of coital ecstasy.

There was no doubt that Itachi had taught Naruto well. The thought made Sasuke tighten his hold on the man and spread his legs further apart so he could attempt to move against him in a clear invitation for more; Naruto understood the message well, because he didn’t stop himself from moving faster in hard thrusts that almost made him lose himself.

Their magic pulsated strongly between them, surrounding them, drawing them to each other as powerfully as ever as they moved together wildly, their breaths fast and uncoordinated, echoing in the night air, the sounds of their bodies meeting deafening and sinfully sensual.

Was this what meant to be ‘lost in throes of passion’?

Sasuke released a guttural growl and effectively manoeuvred them so their positions were reversed with Naruto on his back and Sasuke straddling him. Naruto’s eyes were wide and animalistic, luminous thanks to his magic as they looked up at Sasuke in reverence. Sasuke straightened his back and reached out behind him to grab for Naruto’s shaft and position it over his entrance again, his gaze never leaving Naruto’s as he lowered himself.

Naruto’s hands stretched out to touch him beneath his shirt in wonder and Sasuke started moving, riding him slowly, meaningfully, feeling a sadistic pleasure when Naruto’s eyes rolled to the back of his head.

“Did you fuck him?” Sasuke breathed demandingly. “Did you fuck Itachi today?”

Naruto looked at him, slightly confused, but nodded absently, his trembling hands massaging Sasuke’s chest.

For some reason, this made Sasuke feel angry and simultaneously reach a whole new level of arousal.

He offered the man under him a nasty smirk. “And yet, you are fucking me with this same cock,” he hissed. Moved by impulse, he moved his hand at an impressive speed to close his fingers around Naruto’s throat, forcing the other’s head to slam on the ground without, however, stopping the movement of his hips. Naruto merely released a tiny whine and looked up at him with ferocity, but he didn’t seem scared of him. Sasuke laughed bitterly – that look was amazing. “I loathe you with everything I have.”

His hand squeezed Naruto’s throat, not enough to damage but enough to be threatening, and this seemed to cause their desire to spiral out of control.

Merlin help him, he was going to cum, and by Naruto’s loud, desperate moan, he was just as close.

With his other hand, he grabbed for one of Naruto’s and brought it to his cock, silently demanding to be pleasured and Naruto of course complied, jerking him off quickly. The feeling was overwhelming and Sasuke had to close his eyes tightly shut.

He was only vaguely aware of Naruto bending his legs so he could thrust upwards against him, the intense penetration rocking his body brutally and bringing jolts of pleasure up his spine. Sasuke had no idea what he was doing, his body unsure of whether to fuck itself on Naruto’s cock or to fuck Naruto’s hand. He ended up mindlessly doing both, not even caring about being quiet anymore.

And suddenly, Naruto was swelling inside of him, filling him with liquid warmth and Sasuke followed him, his seed leaving him in long, seemingly unending spurts of pearly white all over the other male’s hand and shirt.

After a few awkward heartbeats, they stilled, breathing loudly.

That had been, by far, the best orgasm of his life. His whole body tensing and relaxing in sheer pleasure.

Tired but euphoric, he looked down at Naruto, whose eyes were also trained on him. Slowly, he regained a little of his natural, composed state of mind to realize he was still gripping Naruto’s neck. Feeling guilty, he relaxed his hold and was relieved to see that there was no angry red mark, just the normal kind of pinkish that would fade in a few minutes.

Naruto was panting, his gaze heavy but gentle, focused on Sasuke alone with so much feeling he felt trapped by it, his heart melting and then becoming terribly heavy.

And then, it hit him.

They had actually gone through with it. They had become intimate and it hadn’t been anything like all those other people Sasuke had fucked.

The hunger, the feelings… they hadn’t gone away. Just by looking at Naruto he knew…

The longing was still there.

_Why?_

_No…_

“This was a mistake,” Sasuke said, his voice sounding as empty as he felt. “And it will never happen again.”

Naruto’s expression changed to one of horror and hurt, and seeing it was the last thing Sasuke needed right now.

“A _mistake_?” Naruto gasped, disbelievingly moving to a sitting position as Sasuke pushed the other man’s hands away from him and got up, wincing a bit at the sensation of Naruto’s cock slipping out of him. Naruto tried to grab for his arm, but he snatched it away from his grip, putting his trousers back on properly as fast as humanly possible. “What do you mean? We both wanted it and you _know_ it! You know you have feelings for me as I have for you! I felt it, and I’m sure that you…”

“II just told you that I hated you,” Sasuke hissed coolly, looking around in the darkness for his missing boot until he found it. He really, really didn’t want to listen to anything the other had to say – he couldn’t. “Don’t fool yourself into thinking that I didn’t mean it just because we were doing it.”

Naruto got on his knees, and Sasuke knew he was hurting him just as he knew that Naruto was aware of how much everything he was saying was a blatant lie.

Still, once his clothes were back on, Sasuke all but composed them and his cloak with hands that were shaking but that he tried had to keep steady. He needed to get out of there. He couldn’t be in Itachi’s presence after this and he definitely could not be with Naruto anymore.

“Don’t do this…” Naruto pleaded, getting to his feet. “Sasuke!”

But the young knight was already walking away.

It didn’t matter if his heart ached or if his body longed to go back to Naruto. The line had been crossed, and there was no turning back now.

Sasuke’s disappointment in himself seemed to know no boundaries.

He needed to find solace someplace safe, and he knew just who to turn to.

000

Sasuke’s head was bent, one of his knees on the ground in front of his King’s throne. He could feel the gentle eyes of both his Majesty and his Queen on him, assessing him, but he was decided. He had thought things over and over in his head, and regardless of what he had promised Itachi, truth was…

After what had happened between him and Naruto he couldn’t stay. He needed time for himself, away from the blond so he could think things through. He wanted nothing more than to go back to normal and have all the feelings inside of him die completely.

Feelings that still lingered in him. He thought they’d cease once something happened, but if anything, the craving increased. That wasn’t right.

Naruto was Itachi’s lover and he was not to be shared. His brother had longed for another person’s love for far too long, and he deserved that Naruto gave him all of him.

Hopefully, Naruto’s own feelings could subside if Sasuke wasn’t around.

“Well, I’m glad you have agreed to my proposal,” His Majesty said, calmly. “I have high hopes for you, Sasuke, and look forward to the day when you’ll be my personal advisor. It saddens me that you’ll have to travel for a while, but it is a necessity, you see.”

“My duty is to serve you as you see fit, My Lord,” Sasuke said with firmness, but making sure he kept his tone as reverent as he felt. “Whatever your wishes are, I am more than happy to abide to them. I live to serve you until the day I die.”

“Please, rise and regard me, my friend,” His Majesty said, vehemently, and Sasuke obeyed, getting to his feet and proudly straightening up, his eyes immediately finding the King’s. “Make the necessary arrangements for your journey, for you must leave as soon as possible. Juugo will be your guard and traveling companion, and you must seek a suitable servant to tend to both your needs since Naruto is a precious helper of your brother’s. Come to me later and Jiraiya and I will explain the negotiations you are supposed to do.”

“Yes, My Lord,” Sasuke muttered, with a graceful bow. “Thank you.”

Without another word, he turned around and stepped out of the large throne room, trying not to allow his own sadness to destroy his resolve.

000

The stables were rather quiet and empty for such an early time in the afternoon, but Sasuke found himself enjoying the time alone he had.

Word said that Naruto was looking for him, so Sasuke had been trying to avoid him at all costs. He hadn’t spent the night at their chambers, so surely, Itachi was also concerned, but Sasuke couldn’t find the courage to face him.

He knew he had hurt the blond with his parting words after their rather passionate encounter, but they weren’t supposed to become lovers, or live some kind of ardent affair.

Sasuke had thought about it, over and over again. Itachi had basically given them his blessing, but that was just the type of person he was, wanting those around him to be happy and live in harmony, but Sasuke knew better. Itachi loved Naruto, and no matter what he said, sharing him with his brother would break his heart and make him feel miserable. It would be different if Naruto had other affairs outside of their home – meaningless people Itachi knew little about – but Sasuke…

Sasuke had thought it was all about magic and sex between him and Naruto, but it turned out that wasn’t the case at all. He wouldn’t call it ‘love’, but there was certainly a darker, dirtier side to it that was also emotional and dangerous. And Sasuke couldn’t have that. He couldn’t even conceive the idea of him and Naruto displaying such ludicrous behaviour in front of Itachi. Just thinking about it made Sasuke’s heart ache – there was no way he’d ever do anything to hurt his brother or to get in the way of what was his happiness.

Besides… there were sides of him Itachi should never see.

It had always been about the two of them, and for a long time, Sasuke had loved Itachi and only him. That love had always been pure and unconditional, so unique and strong that the youngest one had always doubted that the day would come when he’d come to love and cherish someone with the same intensity.

Sasuke couldn’t have anything or anyone ruining that.

But Naruto had already begun to disrupt everything. Sasuke wanted him but didn’t want him to stop loving Itachi. He wanted Itachi to have what he had always wanted.

But he hated it when Naruto and Itachi fucked. Sure, he had always felt uncomfortable with Itachi’s previous lovers, but with Naruto it just angered him. And it wasn’t just because of Naruto – thinking about Itachi and Naruto together confused him for reasons he couldn’t understand. He got mad, restless and unbearably aroused. He felt… lonely and this caused a strong surge of constant longing to follow him no matter where he went.

It was best not to think about it. It would all be over soon.

With a sigh, Sasuke kept brushing the mane of his beautiful black horse lovingly with comb. He had already spend a while washing the stallion properly and it looked absolutely shiny and majestic – a horse fit for a king, but belonging to a knight who would soon be the King’s right hand man.

The corner of Sasuke’s lip curved upwards bitterly. He was doing the right thing at the right time, before things got out of hand.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?” Itachi’s voice was calm but clear, and it startled Sasuke out of his thoughts.

Sasuke looked over his shoulder, his eyebrows quirked upwards. He knew Itachi’s stealth was rather impressive, but he rarely used it, least of all to keep himself from being sensed by Sasuke. Even his magic had been concealed to not be noticed.

Itachi looked as calm as he had sounded, but there was an intensity in his eyes that displayed how upset he felt.

“It’s only for a while,” Sasuke said plainly, with an elegant shrug of his shoulders, his heart falling at his feet at what he saw.

“A while?” Itachi muttered, eyes narrowing. “You’re going to another kingdom and it could take days before the other ruler can decide whether they want to accept the proposals or not. This could take a long time, Sasuke.”

Sighing again, Sasuke looked away from his brother, proceeding to carefully brush his horse’s long mane. While he had seen this coming, he didn’t feel in the mood for this kind of discussion. Still, he didn’t have the heart to dismiss it out of the great respect he had for his older brother.

“Jiraiya is sick, and he will die soon,” he explained simply. “His Majesty wants me to be his new advisor, but for that I need to prove my efficiency with not only delivering proposals to other kingdoms but also by learning how to directly manage issues regarding our country and our feudal lords. It’s only normal that I have to be away.”

Itachi’s steps on the ground were slow but reverberated loudly in Sasuke’s ears, and for some reason, he felt his heart beating faster as his brother approached him. Itachi was a kind man, and yet, he was very capable of being a true menace when angry, and right now, Sasuke felt that threatening presence like a blade to his chest, powerful and intimidating.

It wasn’t something that he was used to, and not exactly something he knew how to handle.

As a strong chest collided with his back, Sasuke barely managed to stop a gasp from escaping him, and as he felt lips brushing the back of his ear, causing his hands to still and every hair in his body stick up as a chill ran down his spine.

He didn’t know what it was, but there was something terribly wrong with him just then.

“Is this sudden turn of events brought about by what happened with Naruto?” Itachi whispered, his voice deceivingly soft. “Do you think you need to leave because you two fucked?”

Sasuke found himself unable to breathe. Panic assaulted him.

Had Itachi seen them? Had Naruto told him?

_That moronic fool…_

But of course he’d tell Itachi. If there was one thing he had of good was that he was blindly loyal to him, and while it frustrated Sasuke, it wasn’t something he could berate Naruto for because that devotion was precious and something he was thankful for.

He felt hands sliding up his arms, slowly until they were resting on his shoulders, the touch making him tense for reasons he couldn’t understand.

“I’m leaving because I need to,” Sasuke said, his voice coming out low and slightly breathless. “What happened between Naruto and myself was a mistake I will not allow to happen again.”

Itachi’s hands clenched around his shoulders in a strong but not hurtful grip. “You are foolish and naïve, Sasuke,” he whispered with a smooth coolness that had Sasuke shivering involuntarily. “Naruto is mine, yes, because he chose to be. But he also chose to be yours. I’m not offended by that. In fact, I’m glad because I know you, and I know you’d love him the way he deserves to be loved.”

“I don’t love him,” Sasuke hissed at once. “You have it all wrong.”

Itachi’s movements were shockingly fast, but Sasuke knew he could’ve fought them if he had been in his right state of mind, but as it was, he merely felt himself being turned around and slammed back against his poor stallion, dropping the comb in his hand. The animal stumbled a bit to the side with a small noise of complaint but didn’t move further as Sasuke stumbled backwards with it but quickly regained his footing, looking up at Itachi’s now openly furious (and sad) face.

“Do you understand nothing?” the older man hissed, shaking his head from side to side, his fists clenched at his sides. “I do not know how to live without you, Sasuke. If you leave for such a frivolous reason, you’ll be breaking something potentially good for yourself and your bond with Naruto. Why would you do that? Why would you run away from something you never had before?”

“Because I don’t need a bond with him!” Sasuke snapped, feeling his temper rising for far too many pent up frustration, straightening up defiantly. “I just need a bond with you and our Sovereigns. That’s the only ‘love’ I need, and the only ‘love’ I want! I don’t want anyone to be on the same level as you, and if Naruto is here to ruin that then I don’t care what you say or what I have to do, Itachi!”

His brother looked surprised by his words, but Sasuke was too wound up already to leave it at that, words he didn’t even think about leaving his mouth without his consent. “I hate him for doing this to me! He’s supposed to love only you and it drives me crazy that you even consider accepting this situation while pretending it doesn’t hurt you! _I hurt_! I hate it when he fucks you and I hate it when you fuck him! I hate you for making me go through this over and over again because I don’t understand why you do it!” Sasuke punched his chest brutally. “You were always enough for _me_ , Itachi! I never needed ‘love’ because you were enough! But I’m not enough for you, I never was! Why?! Because you can’t fuck me?”

Again, his brother moved faster than he could predict, and Sasuke felt the harsh slap across his face before he even saw it, the blow turning his head to the side brutally, making his breath catch and his eyes water. Then, before he could even process it, he was being pulled forward by the collar of his shirt and his mouth was being painfully captured by a demanding set of soft lips that assaulted it without shame.

Hungrily, he felt those same lips sliding over his with a harshness that was unfamiliar to him and something in the back of his mind told him that that pain, that possessive and all-consuming kiss that left no room for denial was being delivered by his brother.

Disoriented and dazed in a psychological state much like he had been when he had allowed Naruto to take him, Sasuke moved instinctively, his body reacting easily as if automatically drawn to Itachi’s as he surrounded his sibling by the neck in a desperate hug and responded to a kiss he had had no idea he had longed for before it had happened.

But, indeed, he had, and many things clicked inside of him as he parted his lips to accept Itachi’s eager tongue inside his mouth, moaning as he sucked on it to have a taste of heaven, pressing himself more to the body in front of him.

This was why Itachi’s love had been enough for him. This was what he wanted and the reason why so many things felt out of place – had _always_ felt out of place.

Why hadn’t he seen it before? How come? Because they were brothers? Had this fact clouded his vision to what he had felt all along?

He was overwhelmed by the sudden intensity of how he felt, his anger quickly turning to an overflow of feelings – awe, love, lust and confusion. It was excruciating and exciting, and Itachi felt it too.

_How long?_

How long had they been dancing around each other like this, wanting each other without knowing? Or had Itachi known all along?

But it stopped as quickly as it had begun, because Itachi was pulling away, brusquely releasing Sasuke and taking a few uncoordinated steps backwards, leaving the young knight feeling empty, his arms stretched out in front of him as if still reaching out for him.

They were both panting as they stared at each other with wide eyes, neither able to move until Itachi brought the back of his hand to his mouth, his cheeks flushed. He looked genuinely horrified by his own audacity.

Sasuke could only look at him, his mouth hanging open, shocked and confused, but mostly, filled with such need he wanted nothing more than to run back to his brother’s embrace and lose himself in what was rightfully theirs.

Just like he had felt with Naruto.

Rightfully theirs…

_No…_

Sasuke swallowed hard. They were _brothers_. What the hell was he thinking? Of course Itachi would refuse him, of course he wouldn’t admit to his feelings like that. It was a sin against nature itself.

Itachi lowered his hand and swallowed hard, his expression becoming sad, almost as if disappointed in himself and it broke Sasuke’s heart to see it. He wanted to tell Itachi that he wasn’t mad or disgusted. He wanted to tell him that it would be alright, but his voice was trapped inside his throat and he knew that it was best to not say nothing at all than to utter useless lies.

How could anything possibly be alright ever again after this? After their feelings for each other, after Naruto…

Everything was broken.

Was this why Itachi had wanted to find a lover? Because he couldn’t have Sasuke the way he wanted?

Was this why he had never told Sasuke how he felt? Out of fear that things would turn out like this?

“I love you,” Itachi whispered dejectedly. “And yes, Sasuke. That’s exactly why you’re not enough.”

Cold seeped into Sasuke’s bones and the feeling was more painful to him than Itachi’s sharp slap across his face – this felt like a punch to his heart. His very existence was hurting.

Pressing his lips together, he lifted his chin up with as much dignity as he could and firmly walked pass Itachi and out of the stable. Itachi did nothing to stop him or to call him back.

Sasuke wasn’t one prone to crying, but for the first time in his life, he felt tears of utter despair and frustration burn his eyes. He wasn’t angry at his brother, or at Naruto, or even at himself. In the end, no-one was to blame, but when it came down to it, they were all at fault without even realizing it.

But this darkness was his alone and Itachi didn’t need to be a part of it, and neither did Naruto. Naruto didn’t need to know how stained they both were.

Itachi had been smart, and wise, but Sasuke had made him lose control and open the gates of what, surely, was his personal hell.

However, Naruto would surely be able to erase that sin from him with his love and devotion, and Sasuke would never do anything to stop it from happening.

But Sasuke himself didn’t love the way Itachi did. More than ever, Itachi was the higher being in his heart, and that wouldn’t change.

Naruto wasn’t meant for him, and neither was Itachi.

Or maybe Itachi was, but couldn’t.

Sasuke would drown in his own love and in his own longing. For his brother, for Naruto… it didn’t matter anyway, he would endure it because it was all he could do to salvage what was left of this mess.

Things would never be the same for the three of them, but at least those two could be happy. If Sasuke could make sure of it, then he’d do whatever it took.

Even if it would break him, even if he was doomed to being alone and away from everything he loved and desired... he knew, now, that he wouldn’t allow his disgraceful filth to taint those two.

Swallowing a sob, Sasuke angrily rubbed at his eyes with the palm of one hand. He had to go and see Juugo (again) – they needed to leave as soon as possible.

000

Itachi hadn’t slept, eagerly waiting for Sasuke’s return to their tower. Naruto had spent the entire day and night looking for him, but Sasuke did a good job hiding when he truly wanted to, and it wasn’t like his fellow knights would ever tell the young assistant about his whereabouts.

Itachi was more than ready to commit some kind of crime. He couldn’t believe he had allowed his emotions to get the best out of him, but overhearing from a servant that rumour told Sasuke was going to travel to negotiate with other kingdoms had been quite the violent blow to his heart. Not that he wasn’t happy, in a way, that His Majesty wanted Sasuke as his right hand man, but Sasuke, who usually told Itachi everything, had not told him about it. The fact that his little brother hadn’t manifested himself only meant that he had been bent on leaving without saying a word.

This had made him feel like his world was about to crumble down underneath his feet. Sasuke was his family – he was everything to him and everything Itachi lived for. They had never been apart for more than a couple of days, so of course this was terrifying for him.

But maybe it hadn’t been so if this was brought upon by a natural course of action, where things were processed normally as they had always been.

But it had been a while since Sasuke had started to distance himself from him, and even more from Naruto. The two had a strong pull towards each other, and no matter how much Sasuke had expectedly avoided it, Itachi could see his resolve breaking with every passing day.

The three of them were a family in spite of the different dynamics. Itachi knew Naruto cared deeply for the both of them, and he knew that Sasuke, regardless of his often cold behaviour towards the blond, cherished his attention and the devotion he bestowed upon Itachi.

Which was why he had never wanted to go through with his impulses, even though Itachi had openly approved of it.

Of course, Itachi’s ‘approval’ came solely from his own need of having things balanced, because there was no denying the jealously that constantly bubbled inside of him whenever he so much as saw the way his brother and Naruto looked at each other.

But now things had taken an unfortunate turn Itachi hadn’t been expecting. Sasuke and Naruto had gotten involved, and filled with guilt, Sasuke felt the need leave and Itachi had been overcome with fear and had done the last thing he should’ve ever done.

He had kissed him, openly and obviously admitting to his darkest, deepest feelings.

Oddly enough, Sasuke had responded, but whether this meant reciprocity or simply that he had acted on impulse, Itachi didn’t know. But it had to be fixed. He couldn’t afford to lose Sasuke – he’d die, he was sure of it.

Of course, he hadn’t told Naruto about what had occurred between himself and Sasuke. Naruto may be very open and liberal, but Itachi seriously doubted that he’d be liberal enough to accept his desire for his own brother. Itachi feared Naruto’s disgust, and he couldn’t risk losing Naruto as well.

Going to his brother’s room, Itachi found a satchel on top of the bed, already packed with basic necessities and clothes. The innocent satchel begged for acts of extreme violence directed towards it, but Itachi refrained from touching it, taking solace in the thought that Sasuke would have to come for it at some point.

Failing in retrieving Sasuke, Naruto had returned to the tower, looking tired and genuinely terrified. In silence, the two waited for the youngest Uchiha.

At dawn, there was movement outside their door, but they found that they were being visited not by Sasuke but by his closest fellow knight, Juugo. The large man stated that he was there to retrieve Sasuke’s things for the journey.

Itachi didn’t think he could possibly feel more devastated.

“He’s leaving without saying goodbye?” Itachi muttered, following the imposing man as he calmly entered Sasuke’s room to fetch the satchel. “Where is he?”

“I’m sorry, My Lord Itachi,” Juugo said calmly, throwing the satchel over his shoulder. “I was asked to fetch for his traveling possessions and this is all I know.”

“He can’t simply leave like this!” Naruto said in a panicked voice as Juugo made his way towards the door. He followed the knight, desperately gripping a bit of his cloak to catch his attention, and Juugo stopped in his tracks, looking over his shoulder with an impassive expression. “Please, take me to him!”

“I have no permission to do it,” Juugo stated, with a small frown. “We’re not leaving permanently.”

“You don’t understand! Permanently or not, we must seem him before he leaves!” Naruto pleaded stubbornly. “There was a misunderstanding and we need to settle it! I…”

“Please, release my cloak at once.” Juugo’s voice was calm, gentle even, but the firmness of his words made Naruto shiver and swallow hard, releasing the fabric slowly. Juugo turned to the two men with that royal elegance that all knights seemed to possess and his eyes softened. “I do not know anything about this misunderstanding you are talking about, I am merely obeying orders. Sasuke is a fellow knight, and as such, we are both bounded by a code of loyalty and secrecy towards each other. I am to do what is requested of me without asking questions. If Sasuke didn’t come and retrieve his things for himself, then I will assume that he didn’t want to. So I beg of you, do not ask anymore of me and do not follow me or I will be forced to unsheathe my sword.”

Naruto seemed shocked by the torrent of words leaving the man’s mouth, so he took a step backwards, knowing better than to openly challenge such a strong, high positioned man. Itachi bit on his lower lip, his chest tight. He wouldn’t be seeing his brother in a long time, if ever.

No, Sasuke would have to return, and when he did, they would seek for him. He couldn’t run away forever. Itachi wouldn’t allow it.

“Please, take care of him,” Itachi said quietly, with a small and humble bow. “And, if it is not too much to ask… tell him that I will eagerly be waiting for him to return to our home.”

Juugo watched him for a while, almost evaluating, before nodding once. “I will deliver the message.”

The two men watched, tense, as Juugo left the room and closed the door behind him. In a fury, Naruto turned to Itachi, fists clenched and blue eyes alive with anger and loss.

“I will become stronger!” he hissed determinately. “I will learn how to fight, with or without him, and I’ll beat him to the ground! I’ll make him understand everything, Itachi! I’ll fix this stupid mess! That damned dramatic coward!”

Itachi heaved a sigh, covering his eyes with his hand. Was there even a way to fix things? Was there even a chance of the three of them ever going back to what they used to be?

Itachi held his breath, chest filled with nothing but anguish.

Had he even done the right thing in bringing Naruto home?

In the end… even as it was… maybe Sasuke had been enough, after all.

TBC…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more part to go and this story will be finished. You guys have no idea how happy this makes me, so hopefully wrapping up this fic will give me motivation to update faster so it’s one less on the list.
> 
> I’ll be sad to see this one go, though. SIN has a special place in my heart.
> 
> Ahhhh, I feel so accomplished. I’ve been updating stuff weekly or every two weeks. If I can keep up this pace, I’ll be able to wrap up a few more fics during the course of this year.
> 
> I hope you all liked the chapter! I will reply to reviews for this and other fics as soon as I can! See ya’ll soon!
> 
> Don’t forget to REVIEW! It’s your input that gives me inspiration to keep going, and the only thing that I get back from spending many hours of my life writing :) I deeply appreciate it!


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